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SES selects Newtec to deliver Ka-band Sat3Play technology
MUMBAI: Satellite operator SES and the satellite communications technology specialist Newtec have signed an agreement to provide European satellite broadband network
Astra2Connect with next generation Ka-band Sat3Play terminals and related hub infrastructure.
SES is currently delivering Broadband Internet and Voice-over-IP services to over 80,000 private households and small businesses across Europe using Newtec’s technology in Ku-band and offering download speeds up to 6 Mbps.
Sat3Play is Newtec’s two-way satellite broadband platform designed for IP-based multiple service providers such as ISPs
wanting to offer competitive voice, data and television services in areas where insufficient terrestrial broadband connectivity is available. Over 110’000 Sat3Play terminals have been delivered yet.
With this new agreement, Newtec will be providing the next generationKa-band terminals featuring higher download speeds be yond 10 Mbps and Newtec’s Point&Play self-installation capability. Newtec will also enhance existing ASTRA2Connect end user terminals in Ku-band to enable
download capabilities of up to 10 Mbps. These terminals are “Ka-Ready” providing an easy and low cost migration path from Ku-band to Ka-band.
The upgrade of existing end user terminals and the next generation Ka-band terminals featuring speeds beyond 10 Mbps are part of SES’s strategy to bring its successful ASTRA2Connect service to the next level.
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2012, SES will further increase the performance of its ASTRA2Connect service by using additional multiple spot beam Ka-band capacity onboard its Astra 2F, 2E and 2G spacecraft to be launched between 2012 and 2014 and located at 28.2 degrees East.
Astra Broadband Services (ABBS) MD Patrick Biewer said, “We now have the capabilities to enhance our existing service offerings to 10Mbps. With Ka-band capacity coming online we are investing in future proof technology to support even higher speeds and extended services. Efficient and reliable technology provides the foundation for this strategy. With our new hardware partnerships now in place, we will
strengthen our service offering and help us to further grow our customer base.”
Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck is convinced that Newtec’s Ka-band Sat3Playterminals and hubs are helping SES to further extend its reach into areas poorly connected by terrestrial means, whilst making its service more competitive.
Van Herck said: “The future of consumer broadband services over satellite is Ka-band. This is simply because the total capacity offered by other commercial frequency bands cannot possibly cope with new demands. Astra2Connect’s download speed and volume has increased over the years and these new Sat3Play Ka-band terminals will enable a further expansion to its offering.”
Newtec and SES will be showcasing the Ka-band terminal at the IBC2011 show taking place at Amsterdam RAI from 8 – 13 September 2011.
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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.
