CM Pinarayi Vijayan launches KFON OTT platform, calls it 'Kerala model project'

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday launched the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) OTT platform here, describing it as a “state model project.” 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," he said.

Responding to criticism of KFON, Vijayan claimed, "Some tried to block the project from the start. They first said it would not be realised. When it took off, they claimed it would not be sustainable." "As it progressed, they made false allegations and even approached the High Court. The Court asked whether public interest or publicity interest was driving them. We did not bow to such pressure and implemented the project with determination," he added.

The chief minister drew parallels with other state initiatives. "When we planned houses for the homeless, there were attempts to derail the project. There were similar efforts against KIIFB, which focuses on infrastructure. But we never backed down—we provided homes to five lakh families. We intend to implement projects worth Rs 96,000 crore in the state." 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.

Vijayan said, "Kerala is the first state in the country to declare the internet a public right", and KFON was a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring connectivity for all.

Positioning OTT as a natural next step, he added, "Earlier, people relied on theatres to watch movies. Now, OTT platforms have made cinema accessible at home. Considering this growth, KFON OTT is a crucial initiative." He said 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.

Vijayan highlighted KFON’s rollout milestones.

"Within a short period, KFON achieved big results. Within a year of its launch, we reached the one-lakh connection target," he added.

As of today, 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 poor families.

"KFON is serving both urban and rural areas, including tribal settlements and remote islands, with a greater focus on rural connections," he noted.

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

On digital inclusion, the CM said, "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." PTI TBA TGB SSK