The invention relates to a method of providing interactive services through a telecommunications network. In the method an audio/visual (A/V) stream and control data is exchanged between an application server and a multiplexing and access control module of the telecommunications network, by means of a multimedia bidirectional interactive protocol. Internet protocol television (IPTV) service protocols are implemented within the telecommunications network for communicating with customer premises television equipment, wherein the IPTV protocols include a streaming protocol for transmission to customer premises television equipment of an A/V stream received from the application server and a monodirectional interactive protocol for receiving user commands at the multiplexing and access control module. The user commands are further converted into messages of the bidirectional interactive protocol for transmission to the application server and response data is relayed from the application server to the customer premises television equipment from which the user command originates.