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SES broadens partnership with Pactel under new deal
MUMBAI: Leading satellite operator SES has broadened its partnership with global satellite communications provider Pactel through a multi-year capacity deal on NSS-6.
Under the new capacity expansion deal, Pactel will utilise multi-transponder capacity on two SES satellites — NSS-9 at 183 degrees East and NSS-6 at 95 degrees East.
Pactel, a longstanding SES customer, will use the additional capacity to expand its voice and data service offerings within the Pacific region, enabling it to provide remote businesses across Australia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste with access to reliable and affordable connectivity.
Pactel International CEO Andrew Taylor said, “With a global fleet of 51 satellites, SES covers virtually all of the world‘s population. The comprehensive coverage of both NSS-6 and NSS-9 have enabled us to expand our networks further, providing coverage to even the most remote Pacific islands. The high-powered NSS-6 beam also means our customers require much smaller antennas to stay connected, making them much easier to install, while being both cost and space effective.”
“Pactel has enjoyed tremendous success in overcoming geographic challenges to offer reliable broadband access to businesses in the region. We are pleased to have found a solution with NSS-6 for Pactel’s growing business needs and that we are able to continue playing a key role in connecting the remote businesses in the Asia-Pacific region,” said SES senior VP Commercial, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East Deepak Mathur.
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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.
