BSNL launches IPTV in Jaipur

Jaipur, Aug 4 (IANS) Indian public sector telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), in association with optical fibre cable maker Aksh Optifibre Ltd, launched the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) in the state of Rajasthan here Monday.

Aksh Optifibre, which posted total revenues of Rs.1.8 billion in the last fiscal ending September 2007, said in a statement that with the launch of its IPTV brand icontrol here the company has become the first to launch IPTV services in Rajasthan and in this city and will revolutionize TV viewing.

In early 2007, Aksh became the first company in India to offer IPTV services through its collaboration with United States-based UTStarcom, a global leader in IPTV solutions, the statement said.

Aksh had then tied up with public sector telecom major Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) to launch icontrol, its IPTV brand in Delhi.

Subsequently, in March this year, the company launched similar services in Mumbai again in association with MTNL.

icontrol is an interactive and personalized television service provided through Internet broadband connections that allows the viewer to watch programmes according to their convenience from more than 120 channels, the statement said.

It will also offer viewers an extensive movie library with Hollywood and Bollywood titles at no extra cost, the statement said.

'BSNL believes in providing world class telecom and technological services to its customers at a competitive price,' said G.K. Aggarwal, chief general manager (Rajasthan Circle) of BSNL at the launch function here Monday.

'This venture fulfils our mission of providing such services to subscribers. With this partnership, BSNL would help increase the reach of IPTV to six million homes,' he said.

'Aksh for the first time has tied up with BSNL to launch the first IPTV service in this state and city,' said K.S. Choudhari, managing director of Aksh Optifibre.

'The service expands the limited entertainment media currently with constrained choices. We are sure that our subscribers will enjoy the interactivity feature and power of control over TV. We will also launch icontrol in other big cities of Rajasthan within one month,' he said.

'UTStarcom has made a long-term investment in, and commitment to, the success of IPTV', said Vijay Yadav, vice president and managing director, South Asia Operations, UTStarcom, while speaking at the launch function.

The current launch represents 'a second time collaboration with Aksh for launch of icontrol and is a step towards fulfilling that commitment,' Yadav said.

Aksh Optifibre, a listed company, is one of India's leading optical fibre cable manufacturers and one of the first companies in India to set up its own fibre optic manufacturing units.

It has one of the world's largest single location manufacturing facilities for fibre reinforced plastic rods, which goes in to the manufacture of optical fibre cables.

Through the recent venture with BSNL, the company plans to roll out and commence its IPTV services to 20 more cities in North India (selected cities in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP (West)).

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, formed in October 2000, is the world's 7th largest telecommunications company providing a comprehensive range of telecom services in India: wireline, CDMA mobile, GSM mobile, Internet, Broadband, carrier service, MPLS-VPN, VSAT, VoIP services, IN Services etc.

UTStarcom, a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and international services and support sells its broadband, wireless, and handset solutions to operators in both emerging and established telecommunications markets around the world.

UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and development operations in the United States, Canada, China, Korea and India.