From correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:00 PM IST

State-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has extended the contract of California-based networking solutions provider UTStarcom for building its infrastructure network, the US company said Monday.

BSNL has introduced Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) with video-on-demand (VoD) capabilities over its broadband infrastructure as part of its multi-play package.

UTStarcom deployed 1.3 million broadband lines in the first phase and now plans to increase the number to 2.4 million.

'We worked closely with BSNL to successfully complete phase one of this multi-play broadband network, and we are pleased that they have chosen to extend their relationship with us for phase two of the deployment,' Vijay Yadav, vice president and managing director of UTStarcom's South Asia operations said.

BSNL started off with its IPTV services in Pune in March last year and is currently the leading IPTV service provider in the country.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)