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Alcatel-Lucent, Ukraine’s Ether spin off mobile broadcast television
MUMBAI: Alcatel-Lucent and Ukrainian Television and Radio Company Ether have announced they have successfully completed field tests that demonstrated for the first time ever in a live network the viability of the DVB-SH format (Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite services on Handhelds) using the UHF band – a band typically used for residential television broadcasting and mobile broadcasting DVB-H.
This test showed an increase of coverage by DVB-SH through the UHF band (compared with legacy DVB-H networks and technologies). The test results are presented on Alcatel-Lucent’s booth at the Sviaz-Expocomm-2010 tradeshow in Moscow.
Ether is Ukrainian telecom operator with a license for digital broadcasting in the DVB-H standard. The scope of this live trial included testing of both the coverage and bandwidth/viability of DVB-SH over UHF and leveraged multimedia broadcast technologyand equipment (modulators and mobile end-user terminals) from Alcatel-Lucent. It also included Alcatel-Lucent system integration and network optimization consulting services which enabled operator Ether to re-use to the maximum extent possible their existing third party equipment.
The DVB-SH standard, part of the DVB family and adopted by ETSI since 2008, is an evolution of DVB-T and DVB-H. As a hybrid system DVB-SH enables direct reception of multimedia broadcast content both via terrestrial repeaters and also to complement distribution via satellite. It also enables hybrid terrestrial broadcasting to both mobile and fixed TV services in the same multiplex. DVB-SH is increasingly seen as the technology of choice for mass broadcasting of television to a broad number of user devices simultaneously.
Ether CTO Viktor Galich says, “Being an innovative company, Ether continues to explore new, cutting-edge technology for consumer applications. That is why we decided to perform analysis of this new technical approachwith Alcatel-Lucent and we are glad to be the first company in the industry, which has tested possibilities of DVB-SH over the UHF band.”
Alcatel-Lucent multimedia broadcast technologies manager Herbert Mittermayr sats, “Alcatel-Lucent has been occupying leading positions in DVB-SH for a long time already. Providing world class technology as well as our multimedia integration services to companies like Ether, we continue in our mission to partner with our customers by delivering them targeted consulting and equipment that they need to successfully validate and launch their multimedia services.”
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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.
