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FCC chairman speaks at length on additional spectrum at CES
NEW DELHI: The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at Las Vegas on Friday witnessed FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in discussion with CEA president Gary Shapiro. They discussed everything from spectrum and the FCC‘s role in dealing with new technologies to assistive technology and the former’s legacy.
In a speech before the sit-down, the FCC chairman spoke at length about the need for additional spectrum and incentive auctions to get that accomplished.
Asked to speak on the spectrum issue, Genachowski insisted that this was an issue that could be solved quickly. “We could be in a position – if Congress asks – to auction this spectrum in the next year or two and put the spectrum on the market,” he said. “That‘s the pace at which we need to move, given the incredible demand [for] spectrum.”
Incentive auctions would allow TV broadcasters to sell unused spectrum that would be used for mobile broadband purposes. Congress, however, has to authorise the FCC to proceed with those auctions.
Without additional spectrum, US global competitiveness is at risk, Genachowski said. “It‘s clear now that … our success depends on having a robust, vibrant, world-class digital infrastructure – wired and wireless.”
The auctions should not be viewed as a punishment for broadcasters. “It‘s just we have a disruptive, new technology in the market that we have to take advantage of for our economy,” Genachowski observed.
Genachowski maintained that it was the FCC‘s core mission to do “everything we can to make sure we have [an eco-system] that‘s competitive and conducive to the greatest possible innovation.”
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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.
