Thiruvananthapuram: Marking a big step in the entertainment industry, the Kerala government on Thursday launched the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) OTT platform. Inaugurating the OTT platform, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described it as a state model project and a crucial initiative of K-FON.

Addressing the event, the chief minister recalled the initial scepticism and legal challenges KFON faced in its early days.

"Some claimed the project would never take off. Others predicted it would not last. But within a year, we reached one lakh connections and even secured an ISPA licence to expand across India,” said the CM.

He also criticised the legal battle against KFON and added that the LDF government implemented the project with determination, ignoring all challenges.

In his speech, Vijayan said Onam conveys a profound message as it celebrates the annual return of the benevolent King Mahabali, symbolising the triumph of goodness and equality even after his suppression to the netherworld. He linked this message with the KFON story.

"Even after attempts to bring anything down, truth and goodness always come back and remain ahead of everything. When anyone attempts to annihilate us, we return with great vigour. The same is reflected in KFON," he said.

"Kerala is the first state in the country to declare the internet a public right. KFON was a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring connectivity for all. Within a short period, KFON achieved big results. Within a year of its launch, we reached the one-lakh connection target,” added the CM.

KFON OTT package starts at ₹444
KFON OTT will aggregate popular services, including JioCinema, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Lite, SonyLIV, Zee5, FanCode, Discovery Plus, Hungama TV and Playbox TV. Five packages start at Rs 444, with durations ranging from one month to one year. All KFON customers can use this platform.

Over 1 lakh internet connections under KFON
To date, KFON has provided 1,10,320 connections across Kerala, including 23,163 government establishments, 3,062 fibre-to-office links, and 14,194 connections for financially backwards households, reported PTI.

"KFON is serving both urban and rural areas, including tribal settlements and remote islands, with a greater focus on rural connections. The government is providing free internet to poor families. Using CSR funds, we are connecting tribal settlements under the 'Connecting the Unconnected' project; 103 families in Kottur and 396 in Attappady have been connected. These are Kerala-model development activities, and such projects will continue,” said the Chief Minister.

Secretariat and the State Assembly have been utilising KFON since last year, with a target of 2.5 lakh connections by next year, he added.