Applications
Huawei dives deep to surface seamless submarine terrestrial networks
MUMBAI: When it comes to the internet’s undersea highways, Huawei wants to make sure the data doesn’t hit traffic when it surfaces on land. At Submarine Networks World 2025 in Singapore, the company pulled back the curtain on its vision for Submarine-Terrestrial Synergy, Optical-Intelligent Orchestration, a bold reimagining of how submarine cables and terrestrial networks can work as one.
For decades, the two domains have operated in silos, with limited interoperability and cumbersome management. Huawei’s new strategy looks to smash those barriers, promising cross-domain visualised management, coordinated scheduling, intelligent O&M, and end-to-end ultra-broadband services. The pitch: a network that’s not only faster, but smarter and greener too.
Huawei unveiled the industry’s first DC-oriented 100T submarine-terrestrial integrated platform, the OptiX OSN 9800 K series. The specs are ambitious:
. Integrated architecture: One unified platform bridging submarine and terrestrial networks.
. Ultra-large capacity: 4T service processing per slot, 100T plus per chassis, and up to 96T per fibre.
. Ultra-high energy efficiency: Power consumption slashed to 0.1 W/Gbit, 65 plus lower than the industry average.
. Ultra-strong intelligence: Digital twin-powered O&M, boosting operational efficiency by 40 plus.
Also showcased was Huawei’s latest 1.6T board for submarine SLTE systems. With adjustable rates from 300G to 1.6T and transmission distances stretching 11,000 km, the board promises to push submarine cables’ performance to new depths while ensuring flexibility for operators.
Huawei president of optical transmission domai Gavin Gu summed up the ambition: “Huawei plans to build an integrated submarine-terrestrial network architecture featuring ultra-broadband, high reliability, agility and intelligence, enabling seamless transmission while significantly enhancing network O&M efficiency and service quality through intelligence.”
With global digitalisation and AI adoption surging, submarine cables already carrying more than 95 plus of the world’s international data traffic are facing unprecedented demand. Huawei, with 30 years of optical transmission expertise, is positioning itself as a key architect of the next-generation internet backbone.
By linking the deep sea to the data centre with a seamless, intelligent bridge, Huawei is betting that the future of connectivity lies not just in laying more cable, but in making every bit smarter, faster, and greener.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
