Applications
Asia-Pac mobile subs to cross 1 billion this year
MUMBAI: Asia-Pacific remains one of the few high-growth mobile markets in the world. Apart from the vast subscriber base, much of this growth is driven by drastically reduced calling rates, decline in handset prices and the expansion of network infrastructure in the emerging markets of India and Indonesia. As at June 2006, India has overtaken Japan as the second largest mobile services market in Asia-Pacific in terms of subscribers, after China. In fact, with 142.7 million subscribers in 2006 and a mobile penetration rate of only 13 percent, the market in India still remains largely untapped. |
New analysis from global growth consulting company, Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacific Mobile Communications Outlook 2007, reveals that the market – covering 13 major Asia-Pacific economies – grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24 per cent between 2002 and 2006, reaching a subscriber base of 0.95 billion in 2006. At a mobile penetration rate of 30.9 percent in 2006, the Asia-Pacific mobile subscriber base is estimated to reach 1.14 billion by end-2007, driven by the robust growth in emerging markets. “The impact of the emerging markets on the rest of the region is likely to grow in significance as regional carriers search for sustainable growth, and as economies of scale further drives down 3G handset prices,” notes Frost & Sullivan industry manager Janice Chong. “Of the expected 190 million net subscriber additions in 2007, 90.8 percent is likely to stem from the emerging markets.” |
With most major cities in emerging markets reaching high mobile saturation, the focus rests on increasing mobile penetration in rural areas and the lower-end segments in the next three to five years. The series of price cuts in voice minutes and the introduction of low-entry one-nation call rate plans in 2006 prove that raising the affordability rates among the masses is increasingly important to penetrate into the lower-end market, which holds strong growth potential for Asia‘s cellular industry. |
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.
