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Asiasat signs contract with Spacecom
MUMBAI: Asiasat has announced that Spacecom, the operator of the Amos satellite fleet, has signed a contract for the exclusive use of Asiasat 2, an Asiasat satellite formerly located at 100.5 degrees East, and has now been relocated to 17 degrees East and renamed Amos-5i.
Amos-5i provides high powered C-band and Ku-band capacity for a variety of satellite communications services to the African continent until AMOS-5 is launched and commences service in mid 2011. Spacecom has also contracted AsiaSat to provide satellite operation and Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) services for Amos-5i.
Spacecom president, CEO David Pollack said, “Amos 5i provides us an excellent opportunity to start developing our new orbital slot of 17 degrees East before the new satellite Amos-5 is launched. Asiasat is Asia’s most reputable satellite operator for service quality and reliability, we are glad to have AsiaSat as our partner who offers us quality satellite capacity that enhances our fleet coverage over the Middle East, Europe and Africa, and reliable satellite operation service for AMOS-5i.”
Asiasat CEO Peter Jackson says, “We are very proud that AsiaSat 2 has successfully completed over 13 years of service life in Asia and will continue to serve other parts of the world at a new orbital location. Asiasat 2 is a very valuable asset for the company. We anticipate that Asiasat 2’s quality and reliable service will continue to be of great value to Spacecom and its users.”
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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.
