Mumbai: Aksh Optifibre and BSNL launched its IPTV brand – icontrol, in Jaipur’s Kukus district. This is the first IPTV service that has been launched in rural India.

Simultaneously, Aksh also announced the commercial launch of icontrol in Rajasthan (Jaipur), which will now enable BSNL broadband customers to avail IPTV service.

Subsequently in six-eight weeks, this service will be available in other cities of Rajasthan. icontrol is a television connection that allows the viewer to watch the programmes as per their convenience with more than 120 channels, and an extensive movie library with Hollywood and Bollywood titles at no extra cost, providing an economical medium of entertainment both to urban and rural India.

The "i" in icontrol stands for the Interactivity factor currently non-existent in tele viewing offered by other service providers like DTH or CAS. icontrol IPTV service is economical because of its tariff plans and other convergent services like VoIP and Video Conferencing accessible through IPTV.

DoT secretary Siddhartha Behura said, "It is great initiative of BSNL and Aksh to provide IPTV services to rural and urban cities of Rajasthan. This initiative of BSNL will empower villagers with modern telecom facilities and enable rural masses to have global connectivity and content."

BSNL Board director planning R. K. Agrawal, BSNL Board director finance Saxena and Rajasthan BSNL CGM G. K. Aggrawal were also present. Speaking on the occasion G.K. Agrawal informed that BSNL would like to take IPTV initiative to approx 100 cities in the country by December.

They also informed that other value added services like Video Telephony, VOIP are likely to be introduced shortly.