Applications
Motorola, Trendsmedia survey reveals predictions for WiMax applications
MUMBAI: As interest continues to build for WiMax, industry participants report that interoperability and last-mile data connectivity will be leading factors in accelerating the technology’s widespread adoption.
In a survey conducted by Motorola and Trendsmedia, 45 per cent of respondents predict that the ability to achieve seamless mobility through interoperability among various devices and networks will be the ‘tipping point’ to WiMax success.
Motorola and Trendsmedia conducted the survey with attendees from WiMax World event in the US. This was a gathering of service providers, equipment manufacturers, operators and software makers meeting to further the understanding and advancement of WiMax, the wireless broadband technology standard 802.16.
The survey also revealed that more than half of the respondents — 57 per cent — believe that the principle reason a service provider would wait for 802.16e instead of deploying 802.16d or proprietary solutions is the technology’s ability to support mobility as well as fixed or nomadic services.
According to the research and analyst firm Maravedis, WiMax is one of the fastest growing emerging sectors within the world’s telecommunications industry, with the global market for fixed and mobile broadband solutions estimated at up to $1 billion in 2007 and $4 billion by 2010.
To prepare for this growth potential, Motorola has deployed several strategic initiatives. In addition to already being the second largest fixed wireless broadband equipment provider through its Canopy product line, earlier this year Motorola announced its focus on 802.16e with its MOTOwi4 product line of fixed and mobile broadband solutions.
The company recently announced both that it will team with Intel to advance the use of mobile WiMax technology, based on the proposed IEEE 802.16e standard for both fixed and wireless broadband applications, and that the companies have committed to work together to ensure that network and device interoperability issues are addressed adequately.
Motorola CTO Dan Coombes says, “Service providers, component vendors and system manufacturers face several issues in bringing the promise of WiMax technology — and seamless mobility — to businesses and consumers around the world. These survey results provide a view into the opinions of early adopters and others interested in WiMax technology, and appear to support Motorola’s drive to deliver 802.16e solutions that offer improved quality of service as well as fixed and mobile wireless broadband.”
More than 50 per cent of survey respondents believe that the most attractive or breakthrough application that will drive this use of Wimax will be last-mile data connectivity. Although it will be used to quickly bring Internet access to communities that are not yet served, Wimax also will augment or replace existing cellular and wireline assets. Although some confusion exists on the role the technology will play within existing
infrastructures, 63 per cent of the respondents anticipate that WiMax will serve as a complementary technology to networks such as 3G and Wi-Fi.
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.
