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Broadband reach to rural areas being increased: Kamat
NEW DELHI: The National Radio Spectrum Management & Monitoring System (NRSMMS)project has been implemented through a World Bank loan of about $30 million to computerize spectrum management.
Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Gurudas Kamat told Parliament that the automation of RF spectrum management has resulted in more effective and efficient spectrum management in more transparent manner.
Various types of applications for wireless licensing are now being received online and processed through Automated Spectrum Management System (ASMS). All the wireless users including telecom operators, defense forces and broadcasters are being benefited with this facility.
Meanwhile, the Government has planned to set up about 100,000 Common Service Centres (CSCs) to provide Government services including access of broadband connectivity to citizens in rural areas.
There were about 7.19 million broadband subscribers in the country at the end of October this year.
The Government plans to expand broadband coverage to connect every Gram Panchayat to broadband network by May 2012.
The Indian Telegraph Act 1885 had been amended to enable provision for USOF support for broadband connectivity to rural and remote areas, and an agreement had been signed by USOF with BSNL for providing wireline broadband connections in and around 28,000 villages/rural locations over a period of 5-years, by 2014.
The subsidy disbursement is for broadband connections, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), computer/computing devices and setting up of kiosks for public access to broadband services. The estimated subsidy flow is Rs 15 billion.
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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.
