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BSNL plans to launch 3G services in 50 Maharashtra cities
MUMBAI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to launch 3G (third generation) mobile services across 50 cities in Maharashtra.
The 3G process is scheduled to start from Pune in December.
Said MTNL executive director Mumbai J Gopal, “The greatest benefit to customers of 3G services would be mobile TV and mobile internet. Customers in metropolitan cities should make use of this opportunity as the PSU has offered a very competitive rate for the high frequency 3G services that enables video and other streaming download on their mobiles including films, music, video games, and several other facilities.”
Adds Bharti Airtel SVP 3G and network quality Abhay Savargaonkar, “The problem in the telecom industry was the sharp rise in mobile customer base but precipitate fall in revenue per-customer. The customer base in India raised by 400 million.”
Broadband connections were still far behind the 20 million by 2010 projected by the government. 3G data revenue was growing upto 240 per cent in two years in countries like Brazil. For 2G operators facing falling ARPU, 3G offered good hope of providing richer services and better revenues. World 3G subscriber revenues were growing by 30 per cent CAGR, adds Savargaonkar.
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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.
