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X (formerly Twitter) is experiencing its largest user exodus since <keyword id="6355315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elon-musk" source="Orion">Elon Musk</keyword> took over in 2022. The tipping point is a perfect storm of political controversy, privacy fears, and discontent with the platform’s new policies, culminating in a dramatic shift of users to alternative platforms like <keyword id="412371" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bluesky" source="Orion">Bluesky</keyword> and <keyword id="1163500" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="threads" source="Orion">Threads</keyword>. Here’s a breakdown of the recent changes and why they’ve left users saying goodbye to X. <h2>Political backlash</h2>The day after the U.S. presidential election on November 6, X saw over 115,000 account deactivations — the most since Musk's acquisition. Many users were disillusioned by Musk's perceived alignment with newly elected President Donald Trump. Musk's vocal support for Trump during his campaign, coupled with his attendance at Republican rallies, alienated users who once trusted X as a politically neutral platform. One user, Kara Wurtz, said the election was the “final straw.” After eight years on the platform, the finance director from St. Louis decided that X was no longer delivering the content she valued. “Every time I opened it, it would throw things at me that put me in a bad mood,” she said. The political fallout didn’t just affect individuals. Prominent organisations and brands, including The Guardian and former CNN anchor Don Lemon, have also bid farewell to the platform. <h2>New terms of service spark outrage</h2>On November 15, X's updated terms of service came into effect, granting the platform a sweeping global licence to use user-generated content. This includes using posts, photos, and creative works to train artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models. The backlash was immediate: <ul><li>Privacy Concerns: By continuing to use X, users implicitly agree to have their data — personal photos, creative work, and more — used for AI training. Artists and creators fear their intellectual property could be exploited to develop AI tools that might one day replace human creativity.</li><li>Legal Implications: Disputes over the new terms will be handled in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, home to Judge Reed O'Connor, a Tesla investor. This has raised questions about potential bias in legal proceedings related to the platform.</li></ul>Alex Fink, CEO of the AI-powered platform Otherweb, criticised X’s lack of transparency, stating, “Unlike other platforms with vague licensing terms, X removes any ambiguity about its intentions.” <h2>Changes to blocking and safety settings</h2>Safety concerns have also escalated due to alterations in X’s block feature. Users now allegedly receive notifications that even those they block can still view their posts — though they can’t interact. This tweak is particularly alarming for users who have faced harassment on the platform. Many feel their safety is compromised, prompting them to seek refuge in safer alternatives like Bluesky, which saw a surge of 500,000 new users in just one day following the policy updates. Initially developed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky offers customizable feeds and decentralised control, which many find refreshing. With over 16 million users (and counting), it’s quickly becoming the top choice for X refugees. Threads, Instagram’s text-based app, also surpassed 275 million monthly active users by November, with 15 million new sign-ups last month alone. For many, these platforms represent a chance to escape X’s chaos while reclaiming control over their online experience. <h2>Is Fediverse the future?</h2>Experts believe the exodus from X could mark the beginning of a new era of decentralised social networks. Bluesky, built on a protocol that enables interconnected platforms, is part of the "Fediverse," which could allow users to interact seamlessly across different apps. This shift reflects growing dissatisfaction with centralised platforms that control user data, content visibility, and privacy settings. While Musk touts record-breaking engagement on X, the cracks in the platform’s foundation are evident. Critics warn that X could become a training ground for Musk’s xAI venture, leveraging user interactions to fuel lucrative AI models. Whether X can weather this storm remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the days of Twitter’s broad appeal as a space for open, inclusive dialogue seem to be fading fast.

Mass X-odus: What are the controversial changes on X that are driving users away?

Singapore Airlines will make an additional investment of Rs 3,194.5 crore in Tata Group-owned Air India post-merger of Vistara in November. The merger, announced on November 29, 2022, and set to be completed on November 11, 2024, will result in Singapore Airlines having a 25.1% stake in the enlarged Air India. Full-service carrier Vistara, which started flying on January 9, 2015, is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, where the latter holds a 49% shareholding. Vistara's last flight will take off tomorrow i.e. November 11, 2024. Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group on Friday said its consideration for the merger comprises the 49% interest in Vistara and Rs 20,585 million (Rs 2,058.5 crore) in cash in exchange for a 25.1% equity interest in the enlarged Air India. Post-merger, SIA expects to recognize a non-cash accounting gain of around 1.1 billion Singapore dollars and also start equity accounting for its share of Air India's financial results. According to a release on Friday, the merger includes an agreement for SIA to contribute its share of any funding previously provided by Tata prior to the completion of the merger, together with relevant funding costs up to Rs 5,020 crore that would allow it to maintain a 25.1% stake in Air India. "SIA's additional capital injection is expected to be Rs 31,945 million (equivalent to SGD 498 million), based on Tata's funding to Air India to date. This will occur after the completion of the merger and within November 2024 through subscription to new Air India shares. "Future capital injections will be considered based on Air India's requirements and available funding options," according to the release issued while announcing the airline's financial performance for the six months ended September 2024. The merger of Vistara with Air India will mark a major consolidation in the fast-growing Indian aviation space. SIA said the merged entity will have a significant presence across all key Indian air travel segments, including domestic, international, full-service, and low-cost operations. "This will strengthen SIA's multi-hub strategy, allowing it to continue participating directly in India's large and fast-growing aviation market," it added. Recently, Air India and SIA agreed to significantly expand their codeshare agreement, adding 11 Indian cities and another 40 international destinations to their network.

Singapore Airlines to invest additional Rs 3,195 cr in Air India post-Vistara merger

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Airports are looking to private wireless networks to improve operations, execs said at MWC Las Vegas.</li><li>Passengers could see benefits like smoother baggage claim and check-ins, the panelists said.</li></ul>Private wireless networks are key to ushering in a better airport experience for both the travel hubs' operations and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/busiest-airport-world-atlanta-dubai-tokyo-heathrow-dallas-list-ranking-2023-12">the billions of passengers who pass through them</a>.That's according to airport executives who spoke on a panel about connected aviation Tuesday at the trade show <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mwc-las-vegas-2024-5g-ai-mobile-communications-conference-2024-10">Mobile World Congress Las Vegas</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/las-vegas-private-5g-network-2023-9">Private networks</a> generally offer greater security and reliability, lower latency, and higher bandwidth compared with public networks. For these reasons, they can help airports with operations and communications, plane and baggage tracking, and security.California's Ontario International Airport, for example, is using a private wireless network to run its perimeter-intrusion detection system, Charles Miwa, the airport's chief information officer, said."As I think about a future with a lot of growth, private wireless is foundational. It's going to enable us to accommodate these ad hoc moves," he said, emphasizing the need for flexibility given how often many airports do some form of construction to update their infrastructure."We're trying to run more efficient airports, more customer-friendly airports," said Michael Youngs, the vice president of information technology at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which last year announced a $10 million deal with AT&amp;T for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-frequency-is-5g">private 5G network</a>."We're not going to do it with people. We're not going to do it with brick and mortar. We're going to do it with technology, with IoT, but we need that base foundational level of connectivity, private wireless, that's going to enable it," he added, referring to the Internet of Things.Private wireless networks can also help enterprises with cost and mobility by reducing the expense of installing cables and by providing connectivity to areas that might be harder to reach with wires."We traditionally at the airport, especially, do not put anything very secure across wireless. We just don't do it," said Kyle Mobley, the director of information technology at the Port of Oakland, which operates the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. "And it's not because we have any proof it's going to be less secure in the way we do it. It's the what you don't know."Mobley added: "Having this infrastructure wirelessly is huge." Mobley spoke of using private wireless for passenger traffic sensors, for example."It's tough to keep sending people out in the field to investigate things at 2 o'clock in the morning," he said. "And we cover such a wide area that getting these sensors — lidar, cameras, whatever it ends up being — in every corner of our property is huge to give that person working that desk the ability to know what's going on. Do I have a squirrel running up the fence, or is it somebody? The squirrel will sometimes send 10 cars out there, and that's not very efficient."Roughly 58% of airports worldwide that participated in the survey are investing in major development programs for a 5G communications network, and another 29% have research-and-development programs for the tech by 2026, said the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sita.aero/globalassets/docs/surveys--reports/2023-air-transport-it-insights-v6.1.pdf">2023 Air Transport IT Insights</a> report from SITA, an IT and telecommunications service provider for the aviation industry, and Airports Council International.As for passengers, they might see benefits like quicker <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-to-do-when-an-airline-loses-your-luggage-2022-7">baggage claim</a> or smoother check-ins."I'm not really looking to be in the private-wireless business — I feel like I have to be in the private-wireless business," Youngs said. "I need to harness data to take our airport forward. That's really the end game."

Airports are investing in private wireless networks to improve operations and travelers' experience

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mesh networks consist of devices that connect to each other rather than to a single router.</li><li>Leaders at Rajant Corporation say mesh networking offers more reliable connectivity for businesses.</li></ul>For businesses that struggle with slow WiFi or connectivity interruptions, mesh networks can be a "game changer," said Steven Griggs, a vice president of sales engineering at the communications technology company Rajant Corporation.A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-mesh-wifi">mesh network</a> is a private wireless <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-broadband-internet">broadband</a> network in which devices, or connection points, link to one another in a weblike structure.It's unlike a WiFi setup, where smartphones, laptops, or other devices connect to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/best-router">router</a>, which serves as an access point. Todd Rigby, a director of sales at Rajant, says a mesh network allows organizations to have many access points that can "talk to one another."Griggs added, "Imagine all smartphones being able to talk directly to each other and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-a-hotspot">hot spot</a>."Griggs argued that mesh networks can offer more reliability, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5g-advanced-standalone-6g-qualcomm-huawei-mwc-2024-3">faster connectivity</a>, and better mobility and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rsa-conference-best-practices-securing-5g-iot-devices-2024-5">network security</a>.Rigby and Griggs discussed the ways mesh networks could benefit businesses and the challenges of adopting the technology.These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.Erica Sweeney: What are the main benefits of mesh networks?Todd Rigby: Reliability of data. When you need coverage for a larger area, up to hundreds of miles in any direction, they can provide much faster transfer speeds and significantly higher connectivity.There's scalability when you're struggling with connectivity. We can scale to all shapes, sizes, and types of businesses to provide that critical level of communication — from a building that's 10,000 square feet to a business that's covering hundreds of square miles.Mesh networks also offer significantly more safety and security, whether from a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rsa-ceo-rohit-ghai-navigating-5g-cybersecurity-2024-5">malicious attack or other breach</a>.Steven Griggs: Mesh networks have a lot of network redundancy built in that keeps them connected to one another. You just put it out there, and if they can see each other, they can talk. It's easy to manage. They're very flexible and can work with other technologies, like LTE and Starlink. We're also moving toward more autonomy and artificial-intelligence-driven decision-making, applications, and technologies; mesh networks are built for that.Sweeney: How do mesh networks enhance connectivity for businesses?Griggs: They're versatile. They very easily integrate into an existing network. There's a lot you can do with them. They can be as complicated or as simple as the network administrator wants to make them.Rigby: One of the challenges that businesses often have, especially when they're moving into environments beyond a traditional office — spaces with manufacturing or material processing and where goods are coming in and out of a warehouse — is they end up with a lot of physical obstruction.With WiFi, you may struggle with connectivity between the worker and the network. If workers continuously have connectivity problems, they're going to have a hard time producing what their employer expects.Mesh networks work in highly obstructed, highly mobile environments where machines and equipment move around, where you have racks, materials, and products stacked up and volumes are changing every day. That would wreak havoc on traditional WiFi. A mesh network is able to adapt automatically and provide seamless service to people working in those environments.Sweeney: What do businesses need to do to successfully adopt a mesh network?Griggs: A company has to have a good solid backbone. It must get its wired network working correctly before introducing a mesh network.Rigby: If you apply automation to an inefficient process, you're just speeding up the error rate. If you drop a mesh network into an environment with poor <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-ethernet">LAN architecture</a> and configuration, it will become apparent pretty quickly. When deploying a mesh network, companies need to optimize their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-private-wireless-connectivity-changing-airport-experience-aviation-mwc-2024-10">wireless</a> and wired communications.

In the battle of WiFi versus mesh networks, the latter has the edge. Two tech leaders share why. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Comcast's Mike Cavanagh said the company will explore ditching its cable networks.</li><li>The company may also look to partner Peacock with a rival streaming service.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comcast-split-cable-tv-cnbc-bravo-nbc-peacock-2024-10">Comcast</a> said this week it might separate from its cable networks and marry off its streaming service. Several media analysts worry that those moves might only end in heartbreak.Mike Cavanagh, Comcast's president, floated the idea Thursday of spinning out cable networks like CNBC and MSNBC into a new firm while holding on to NBC. If this sounds familiar, it's because rival <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disneys-sale-abc-bob-iger-grand-plan-tv-streaming-espn-2023-9">Disney</a> considered a similar move last summer — floating a sale of its broadcast network, ABC — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-not-selling-abc-networks-bob-iger-insists-2023-11">before later backtracking</a>.Cavanagh also said Comcast "would consider partnerships in streaming, despite their complexities" — even after reporting that morning that its streaming service, Peacock, added an impressive 3 million subscribers in the most recent quarter.These comments come after Bank of America media analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich opined over the summer that fellow firm Warner Bros. Discovery <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-discovery-wbd-zaslav-struggles-streaming-media-strategy-analysis-2024-7">should find a streaming partner</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-discovery-split-plan-hbo-max-reaction-2024-7">consider splitting up its business</a>, given that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cable-tv-subscriber-losses-q2-venu-moffettnathanson-2024-9">the pay-TV business is severely challenged</a>.<h2 id="3f451567-2f24-4735-848c-f6eb697ba23d">Why Wall Street isn't sold on a network spinoff</h2>At first, Wall Street seemed to celebrate Comcast's potential strategic shift, as its stock spiked 6% in early trading after Cavanagh's comments and its strong earnings report.However, shares shed much of those gains within a few hours before ending the day up 2.4%. Investors may want Comcast to exit the challenging media business altogether.Several industry analysts said that Comcast could increase its valuation by divorcing itself from its declining cable networks, as it would help emphasize its burgeoning streaming business."We believe a spin would help isolate the value of its growth areas," UBS media analyst John Hodulik wrote in an October 31 note.Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson agreed, telling Business Insider via email that "it would be a welcome development to shed an albatross business and leave in its wake a cleaner and simpler growth story.""Investors have yearned for exactly this, or at least something close to it, for years," Moffett wrote in a note to clients.While that move may make sense on paper, it could prove to be difficult in practice.There's an obvious issue with such a spin-off, as Business Insider's Peter Kafka noted: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comcast-split-cable-tv-cnbc-bravo-nbc-peacock-2024-10">Who would want to buy these less desirable assets</a>, at least at a price that Comcast could stomach?"Carving out the US cable networks, which include USA, CNBC, and E!, without Peacock or the NBC broadcast network would be odd," wrote Michael Hodel, a media analyst at Morningstar. "The cable networks likely have little value on their own. A spinoff would have to be part of a larger strategic move, like merging with another firm."Macquarie's Tim Nollen agreed, writing on Friday morning that "we question how valuable cable networks would be stand-alone, without ties to NBCU's studio and streaming capability, and lacking advertising tie-ins."Rich Greenfield of Lightshed Partners went further, reasoning <a target="_blank" href="https://lightshedtmt.com/2024/10/31/comcast-all-dressed-up-nowhere-to-go-the-struggle-of-being-open-to-possibilities/">in his note to clients</a> that there isn't a logical partner out there. Starz is a minnow relative to its peers, and Greenfield said it's "certainly not strong enough to protect a weak basic cable network portfolio."And while combining with WBD's TV networks could lead to significant cost savings, Greenfield suspects David Zaslav and company actually have the upper hand on Comcast. Although many thought WBD would be toast without the NBA, Greenfield believes the company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wbd-charter-deal-david-zaslav-nba-comcast-nbc-negotiations-tv-2024-9">could come out ahead</a> by saving money while <a target="_blank" href="https://lightshedtmt.com/2024/10/29/david-vs-brian-are-investors-underestimating-warner-bros-discovery/">maintaining their networks' carriage fees</a>."There would be no urgency to such a combination," Greenfield wrote. "If we were in Zaslav's shoes, you would wait for NBCU to suffer and be opportunistic versus rushing into a merger to help Comcast."<h2 id="41cd4c2c-1365-4685-b790-9c8f8e798e6c">The Peacock partnership puzzle</h2>Comcast's streamer has made steady progress, but it can't truly compete with its larger rivals, analysts said."Even though Peacock has enjoyed some very consistent growth in recent years, it is still very clearly subscale," said Brandon Katz, a senior entertainment industry strategist at Parrot Analytics, in an interview. "It doesn't have the penetration needed to offset what has been back-to-back years of very significant losses."Joining forces with other subscale streamers like Max and Paramount+ may seem like a sound strategy, but Greenfield explained that the logistics would be tough.Peacock only operates in the US, while Max and Paramount+ have global aspirations. Comcast could keep licensing out Peacock's content abroad, though that may not be efficient.Another concern would be subscriber cannibalization. Greenfield estimated that a substantial number of Max and Paramount+ customers already have Peacock. A combined service would cost more, though it may not offset the overlap from ensuing cancellations.And then there's the question of whether Peacock would absorb Max or Paramount+, or vice versa. One of the biggest benefits of building a direct-to-consumer business is owning the customer relationship, so it's unclear which media giant would sacrifice that at this point.Even still, Katz said a Peacock-Max combination could be potent, given that the two services would garner a formidable share of on-platform demand, according to Parrot Analytics.But a Paramount+ tie-up could prove to be a safer option, given that its ownership structure seems more settled now that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-ellison-paramount-ceo-skydance-larry-ellison-son-2024-7">the Ellisons are backing it</a>.Either streaming partner would require Comcast to sort through a litany of logistics, though doing so may be their best option."Once you find the partnership you like, how do you distribute that most effectively to consumers, and what do you price it as?" Katz said. "It's a lot of unknowns, but a very tantalizing possibility for the industry."

Why Wall Street is skeptical about Comcast's proposal to ditch its cable networks and pair Peacock with a competitor

If your broadband connectivity faltered recently, the cause may be far above the Earth. On October 19, 2024, the <keyword id="23654638" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intelsat-33e" source="keywords">Intelsat 33e</keyword> satellite experienced a catastrophic event in <keyword id="20509348" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="geostationary-orbit" source="keywords">geostationary orbit</keyword>, breaking into at least 20 pieces. This fragmentation was later confirmed to have generated over 57 pieces of <keyword id="20715750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-debris" source="keywords">space debris</keyword>. The satellite’s sudden disintegration impacted certain broadband and connectivity services in Asia, Europe and Africa. While the satellite wasn’t widely used for everyday home broadband, its services were vital for specific sectors. <keyword id="21479073" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Intelsat" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Intelsat" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Intelsat">Intelsat</keyword> 33e was a critical part of Intelsat’s EpicNG network, delivering high-throughput broadband for inflight Wi-Fi, maritime connectivity, and business communications. It even supported broadband for airlines in India through a partnership with Tata's Nelco. However, the incident that occurred on October 19 resulted in a loss of power and service to Intelsat’s customers. In a statement released by the company, Intesat said that they were assessing their fleet’s capacity as well as working with third-party providers to mitigate service interruptions. Intelsat representatives were in direct communication with all affected customers, it further said. <h2>What caused the satellite to break apart? </h2>Instances of deliberate satellite destructions, accidental collisions and violent solar activity have all been documented in the past. But the exact cause of the satellite's breakup is still under investigation. Notably, Intelsat 33e, designed and manufactured by <keyword id="23663703" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Boeing-Space-Systems" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Boeing Space Systems" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Boeing Space Systems">Boeing Space Systems</keyword>, has had a history of propulsion problems. Soon after its launch in 2016, the satellite faced thruster issues, which reduced its operational lifespan. Such malfunctions may have contributed to the satellite’s structural failure over time. In fact, the Boeing-built EpicNG 702MP satellite bus has experienced failures in the past, including one in 2019. At the moment, it remains unclear whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger mechanical failure. Regardless of the root cause, the most pressing issue left by the incident is the generation of space debris, which presents risks for other operational satellites. <h2>Growing pile of space junk </h2>The breakup of Intelsat 33e adds to a growing concern: space debris. With over 57 pieces of the 6,600 kilogram satellite now floating in geostationary orbit, the risk to other satellites and space assets has increased. Space junk can cause significant damage to operational satellites by colliding with them at high speeds. Each collision generates even more debris, creating a dangerous cascade effect known as the Kessler syndrome, where space becomes increasingly congested and hazardous for future missions. While steps are being taken to track and mitigate space debris, incidents like this one highlight the growing urgency for better space traffic management and debris removal solutions. As we rely more on satellite infrastructure for global communication, the safety and sustainability of space have never been more critical. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114292761" title="The sun is at its 11-year maximum. That means another year of eruptions that can endanger satellites, ground flights, and spark stunning auroras." mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Did you experience wonky broadband service recently? A broken satellite in space might have something to do with it!

<ul><li><keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola-Electric" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola Electric" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Ola Electric">Ola Electric</keyword> has announced its plans to expand its sales and service infra to 10,000 outlets.</li><li>The company said it plans on reaching this by the end of 2025 and has initiated a network partner programme.</li><li>The programme is aimed at pushing sales into tier-2 and tier-3 cities.</li></ul>Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola Electric on Thursday said it will establish 10,000 sales and service outlets by the end of 2025 to expand its reach across smaller cities and towns. The electric two-wheeler maker said it has initiated a network partner programme aimed at taking EV sales further into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, including urban pockets where EV penetration remains low. Under the initiative, the company has reportedly on-boarded 625 partners to expand its sales footprint across India, it said in a statement. The company further plans to have 1,000 partners ahead of the festive season this year, it added. <div type="twitter" handle="bhash" handlename="bhash" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1839215479480549447"></div> Ola Electric said it aggressively plans to expand its network by on-boarding 10,000 partners, across sales and service, by the end of 2025. This, the company claims will give it an edge over its competitors. The company currently has around 800 company-owned stores, and with the network partner programme, it will have nearly 1,800 sales and service touch points ahead of the upcoming festive season. "Our D2C model has been extremely successful in driving sustainable business growth. The Network Partner Program will further amplify the benefits of our D2C network as it requires limited capital investment from partners and can be scaled up really fast," Ola Electric Chairman and MD Bhavish Aggarwal stated. While the company-owned stores will be the anchors of sales and service network, this programme will be instrumental in expanding the EV footprint deeper into the urban and rural markets, he added. "We will continue to expand and invest in our front-end network to accelerate EV adoption to #EndICEAge, and by the end of next year, will have 10,000 Network Partners across the country," Aggarwal said. Ola Electric sells electric scooters and bikes priced from ₹74,999 to ₹1,99,999. Ola Electric reported a sale of 27,506 units in August 2024, up from 18,749 vehicles sold in August 2023, reporting a 46.7% year-on-year growth. This is however lower than its July 2024 sales of 41,711 vehicles. The sale of <keyword id="19895203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicles" source="keywords">electric vehicles</keyword> has slowed down, amid reduced subsidies, an increase in customer issues with the vehicles and more. With inputs from agencies. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-is-using-ai-powered-technology-to-block-spam-calls-and-messages/articleshow/113691942.cms">Airtel is using AI-powered technology to block spam calls and messages</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/diffusion-engineers-ipo-quick-review-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-more/slidelist/113687580.cms">Diffusion Engineers IPO quick review – IPO GMP, risk factors and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/manba-finance-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/113667907.cms">Manba Finance IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a>

Ola Electric plans to expand sales and service infra to 10,000 outlets by 2025-end

<keyword id="19896016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-delhi" source="keywords">New Delhi</keyword>, <keyword id="20034542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kia-india" source="keywords">Kia India</keyword> on Friday said it is planning to have around 700 sales and service touchpoints in 300 cities by the end of the year. The automaker, which sells models like <keyword id="20037256" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="seltos" source="keywords">Seltos</keyword> and Sonet, has 522 such touchpoints across 236 cities. The company said it is focussed on strengthening its presence in Tier-1 and Tier-2 markets, contributing 40 per cent to its total network strength. <keyword id="19997865" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kia" source="keywords">Kia</keyword> <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> is also focused on expanding its touchpoints in the Tier-4 and upcountry markets, it added. "We have expanded our touchpoints network from 285 to 522 since starting our operations in India. As part of Kia's 2.0 strategy, we are aiming to close the year with over 700 touchpoints, thereby making Kia more accessible to our esteemed customers," Kia India National Head Sales &amp; Marketing Hardeep Singh Brar said. The automaker is also committed to sustainability by introducing the green workshop concept and encouraging all its dealer partners to transition to eco-friendly workshops, he added. Kia India also intends to increase its certified pre-owned network to 100 outlets by the end of 2024. It currently has 59 such outlets across the country.

Kia India looks to expand sales, service network to 700 touchpoints by year-end

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The threat to the undersea cables carrying internet data is growing more acute.</li><li>A Russian unit called GUGI is surveilling them, CNN said.</li></ul>Russia's threat to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-could-take-out-west-internet-gps-back-up-plan-2024-8">subsea cables the West relies on for the internet</a> is growing more acute amid surveillance from a specialist undersea sabotage unit, a NATO official said.The official told Business Insider that the alliance was stepping up measures to protect the cables in the wake of a report that they're being targeted by Russia's General Staff Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research."Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, threats to subsea infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines as well as data cables have increased," said the source."Allies have long warned of the risk that Russian spy ships and sabotage vessels patrolling subsea cable routes could pose to critical underwater infrastructure."It comes after two US officials told<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/06/politics/us-sees-increasing-risk-of-russian-sabotage-undersea-cables/index.html"> CNN on September 13</a> that Russia had deployed a secret submarine unit called The General Staff Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research. Known by its Russian acronym, GUGI, the unit's goal is to surveil and possibly destroy the undersea cables the West relies on for the internet.The cables run for thousands of miles under the ocean between Europe and North America, carrying everything from communications to streaming and financial data.A Pentagon official told BI that "we are aware" of these reports, but had nothing further to add at this time.<h2 id="90cbdaee-3b89-44d0-a1b4-3be5f9ec6ef8">A unit specializing in undersea sabotage</h2>Analysts have long warned that the cables that stretch unprotected for thousands of miles underwater are exposed to being attacked and disabled by Russia.The cables, which carried telegram data during World War I, have long been seen as military targets.But as the world has become more dependent on internet data, the potential for disruption caused by sabotage has become greater.And with relations between Russia and the West deteriorating in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, the Kremlin is signaling that these cables are a legitimate target.Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia's security council, in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-medvedev-says-moscow-now-has-free-hand-destroy-enemies-undersea-2023-06-14/">June warned</a> that Russia could attack the cables in response to the destruction of the Norstream pipeline.The threat is not idle with GUGI, specifically formed for subversion back in the Cold War, reportedly gearing up its operations.Sidharth Kaushal, an analyst at London's Rusi think tank, told BI that the unit's core aims were "surveillance, espionage, and sabotage," and it operated not as part of the navy but under the direct command of the Russian Ministry of Defense because of the sensitivity of its missions.The unit operates a small fleet of specialist deep water submarines capable of operating at a depth of around 2,500 metres and a surveillance vessel, the Yantar, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/russian-spy-ship-yantar-loitering-near-trans-atlantic-internet-cables/">which was spotted </a>near sensitive cables off the UK coast in 2019.As <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-gugi-submarines-likely-operating-around-undersea-cables-pipelines-2023-7">BI previously reported,</a> GUGI appears to be an elite and difficult-to-join unit. Soviet-era candidates needed to be officers and have at least five years of experience in the submarine service.GUGI members receive "considerable salaries" because the organization treats their "effective salaries as a deployment bonus related to the time they spend at extreme depths," Kaushal said in a report last year. "As a result, in 2012, GUGI personnel were earning 600,000 roubles," or about $20,000, a month.<div type="image" title="Fiber optic cables on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea." height="1500" width="1999" msid="113428436" hostid="261" sizebytes="128368"></div>There is already evidence that Russian units may have tampered with undersea cables, with experts saying that Russian units likely played<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://archive.is/SI8xU#selection-2369.8-2369.26"> a role in the disappearance of miles </a>of the cables near Lofoten off the coast of Norway in 2021.Kaushal said that if a direct conflict breaks out between Russia and a NATO state, GUGI would likely first seek to sever military cables, specifically those enabling the tracking of Russian military submarines.But it could also menace the cables civilian communications depend on as a "useful means of calibrated coercion," he said.Though the cables are exposed to damage in storms or can be accidentally damaged by anchors, an act of calculated sabotage would cause damage on a different scale."Recovering from a deliberate sabotage campaign would take time," Mark Cancian, an analyst with the CSIS think tank in Washington, DC, told BI.<h2 id="11a9f719-8508-4515-8aa5-3b0a191b6b0b">NATO steps up patrols</h2>In a recent report, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/safeguarding-subsea-cables-protecting-cyber-infrastructure-amid-great-power-competition">experts at the CSIS called</a> on countries to intensify efforts to safeguard the infrastructure, warning that "without coordinated international efforts to safeguard these cables, the risks of disruption, espionage, and economic instability will continue to grow."The NATO official said that the alliance had "stepped up naval patrols near undersea infrastructure" and said that "NATO's North Atlantic Council has stated clearly that any deliberate attack against Allies' critical infrastructure will be met with a united and determined response."But Kaushal said that because no Western nations were officially at war with Russia, it was unclear what could be done beyond monitoring the activity of Russian vessels such as GUGI's near sensitive undersea cables."What is more challenging is the question of what rules of engagement exist when suspicious activity is occurring on international waters in peacetime when there is no legal basis to deny Russian platforms access," he said.

A secretive Russian submarine unit could sabotage the subsea network of cables that powers the internet

<ul><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended work from home</li><li>A former AWS employee shared tricks people use to not return to office</li><li>The post has gone viral </li></ul> A couple of days back, tech giant Amazon was under the limelight for ending <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> forever. The company, through a memo shared by <keyword id="21367545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO-Andy-Jassy" source="keywords">CEO Andy Jassy</keyword>, announced that employees will be required to be in office for all five days. Jassy had also noted that there are various benefits of working from office - something that he has mentioned in previous memos as well - and that everything will return to the way it was before the Covid 19 pandemic. <h2>Employees are not ready to return to office</h2>Amazon's RTO (return to office) mandate had sparked a lot of discussion online, and various employees were seen criticising the decision. Now, a former <keyword id="19974102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Web-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Web Services" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Web Services">Amazon Web Services</keyword> (AWS) engineer, <keyword id="23292501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="John-McBride" source="keywords">John McBride</keyword>, has revealed some clever methods employees have used to dodge the company's strict return-to-office policy. The Colorado-based software engineer, who left AWS in June 2023, shared his experiences in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), which has now garnered over a million views. McBride called these tactics "true ingenuity and innovation," but not in the way one might expect from a tech giant like Amazon. In the post, McBride explained that many employees were going to great lengths to avoid physically returning to the office after Amazon implemented a strict return-to-office mandate. He himself chose to resign when asked to relocate to a different city and work from the office. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113585941" title="Unfortunate incident, compassion needs to be promoted: Experts react to EY employee’s death" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> McBride listed three "wild" tricks AWS employees have been using to avoid returning to the office while still appearing compliant with the company's attendance policies. <h2>The three "wild" tricks </h2> First, he highlighted a classic approach that employees used for weeks: badging into the office during lunch breaks, grabbing free snacks or coffee, and quickly leaving. “This worked for a few weeks until they started tracking how long employees actually stayed in the office,” McBride said. The second trick involved employees renaming their home Wi-Fi network to match that of the office's network. The company's reporting software would then mark the employee as being “in the office” based on the network name. McBride admitted this was his favourite tactic but mentioned that it didn’t last long. “Eventually, the IT department made the system more sophisticated, checking more than just network names.” Lastly, McBride spoke about certain "under-the-table arrangements," where employees left their security badges with colleagues who would clock them in and out of the office. “This was risky, but I knew someone who did this for months,” he remarked, amazed by how long it lasted. <div type="image" title="amazon" msid="113620212" hostid="261"></div> Although many companies, including Amazon, have been keen to bring employees back into physical office spaces following the pandemic, the rise of remote work has sparked ongoing debates about its long-term viability. McBride’s post has sparked conversations about the necessity of office attendance for tech professionals, especially given the increasing availability of virtual collaboration tools. It’s clear that employees are not only resourceful but also determined to maintain the flexibility that remote work offers. Whether these tricks will continue or be shut down entirely as companies tighten their policies remains to be seen. For now, McBride’s account sheds light on how some are navigating the changing landscape of post-pandemic work. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/article/simply-put-founder-mode-the-secret-sauce-to-startup-success-or-fancy-term-for-hustle-and-micromanagement/articleshow/113568851.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Founder Mode — the secret sauce to startup success or fancy term for hustle and micromanagement?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-macbook-air-m1-to-be-available-under-50000-on-amazon-how-to-get-the-deal/articleshow/113617645.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Apple MacBook Air M1 to be available under ₹50,000 on Amazon, how to get the deal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=479266566&amp;author=divyanshi%20sharma=&amp;page=1" class="artishow_author"></a>

Rename home Wi-Fi, leave badge at office: Ex-Amazon employee reveals tricks used by employees to not work from office

<ul><li><keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> users in several areas, including Mumbai have reported a disruption in services.</li><li>Users have taken to social media to complain about the outage.</li><li><keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> has not said anything about the outage or when the services will be restored.</li></ul> In a widespread outage on Tuesday, Jio services were disrupted in several areas, including parts of Mumbai. Jio users took to social media to complain that they were unable to place calls on their devices. In addition to the mobile network, the disruption has reportedly also impacted JioFiber. Users have reported that they are unable to access the internet on their JioFiber. This is not the first time a massive outage has affected Jio users. In November 2022, Jio services were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-users-are-reportedly-unable-to-call-and-send-messages/articleshow/95846445.cms">down</a> for a long time, preventing users from placing calls or sending messages from their numbers. <h2>Downdetector records several reports</h2> <div type="image" title="Untitled design" msid="113421558" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Surge in outage reports for Jio&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Downdetector, a popular website that tracks outages across websites and applications, has reported a massive spike in reports about Jio being down. Over 10,000 reports were registered on Downdetector for Jio. While some users complained about the outage on social media, others used humour to talk about it. <div type="twitter" handle="Harsh_humour" handlename="Harsh_humour" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1835953700474703942"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="sarcastic_us" handlename="sarcastic_us" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1835936356922773951"></div> Reliance Jio has not said anything about the outage or when the services will be restored. <h2>Jio app and website are down too</h2>It’s not just Jio’s services, the telco’s own website and app are currently down. If you open the app, it is stuck on the white loading screen, while the website gives a “this site can’t be reached” error. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-neo-vs-nothing-phone-2a-which-phone-should-you-buy-under-25000/slidelist/113417314.cms">Motorola Edge 50 Neo vs Nothing Phone (2a) – Which phone should you buy under ₹25,000?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/ios-18-update-to-start-rolling-out-today-eligible-devices-features-and-more/articleshow/113413108.cms">iOS 18 update to start rolling out today – eligible devices, features and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/alienware-aw3225qf-32-inch-qd-oled-gaming-monitor-review-for-the-perfect-gaming-experience/articleshow/113404175.cms">Alienware AW3225QF 32-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor review – for the perfect gaming experience</a>

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