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Intelsat 20 to provide services in C and Ku-bands
MUMBAI: Intelsat 20, satellite designed and built by leading commercial satellite provider Space Systems/Loral, has launched on 2 August and is performing post-launch maneuvers.
The satellite based on the Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform will replace Intelsat 10 and Intelsat 7, and is expected to have a service life of more than 18 years.
Intelsat 20 will provide high-power distribution of video, voice, and data network services in C and Ku-bands across four continents from its orbital slot at 68.5 degrees East longitude.
The Intelsat 20 video neighbourhood provides premium content that is carried by India‘s leading cable MSOs and DTH operators, reaching more than an estimated 90 million pay-TV subscribers across India. It also hosts the largest DTH platform in Africa.
The satellite deployed its solar arrays on schedule following its launch aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle provided by Arianespace from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and has begun firing its main thruster to complete its travel to geostationary orbit.
“The launch of Intelsat 20 is one more testament to the success of our longstanding relationship with Intelsat and our ability to work together as a team,” said Space Systems/Loral president John Celli.
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.
