Applications
Reliance Communications awards Huawei $200 million contract for network expansion
MUMBAI: Reliance Communications Ltd. has awarded a network expansion contract worth over $200 million to Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, a provider of CDMA, GSM and telecommunications network solutions. |
An official release states that the current network expansion undertaken by Reliance is the largest wireless network expansion ever undertaken by any operator across the world. Under the agreement, Huawei would supply and provide deployment services for CDMA and GSM base stations, including BSC and switches and help create top-of-the-line all-IP next generation network infrastructure. The technology from Huawei is expected to bring down Reliance Communications total cost of ownership (TCO) by enabling a significantly faster and more cost-effective expansion of existing CDMA & GSM network services. It is also expected to enhance the company‘s competitive advantage in attracting new subscribers. |
| The contract is expected to help Reliance Communications plan roll out of its pan-India CDMA and GSM network expansion, that seeks to extend its next generation, integrated (wireless and wire-line) convergent (voice, data and video) digital network to over 20,000 towns and 600,000 villages to create India‘s largest telecom network. “We have chosen Huawei based on its established credentials as a global company producing high quality products and solutions. The relationship with Huawei will help us maintain and strengthen our leadership position in India, the world’s fastest growing telecom market,” said Reliance Communications chairman Anil Ambani. “We are extremely proud and happy to partner with Reliance Communications which has contributed immensely to the growth of the telecom sector in India and has always led from the front in expanding the domestic market. It is, in no small measure, a credit to Reliance Communications that India is today the fastest growing telecom market in the world,” said Huawei Technologies chairlady Sun Yafang. “We look forward to continuing this partnership with Reliance Communications by providing innovative and customer-oriented solutions and services,” she added. |
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.
