Haaretz
Adar1 22, 5765
Ultra-Orthodox rabbis have
agreed that MIRS Communication will provide their community with cellular
phones preventing users from accessing potentially offensive
content.
The rabbis not only will inform their community at a press
conference today that they should buy the MIRS phone, but will also
declare a ban on other cellular operators.
Two years ago, parents
and educators in the ultra-Orthodox world discovered the "spiritual and
educational dangers" of cellular phones, and expressed particular concern
over the medium's impact on the younger generation. Parents and educators
in the ultra-Orthodox sector believe the existence of cellular phones with
video and Internet capabilities threaten their community's way of
life.
Despite attempts by operators to introduce "kosher" cellular
services that intended to keep youth away from inappropriate content, the
ultra-Orthodox community's leaders have been adamantly opposed to the
medium. In fact, rabbis declared a ban on cellular operator advertising in
the ultra-Orthodox press last year, costing an estimated NIS 1 million in
potential revenues to the papers.
However, the agreement between a
rabbinical committee set up to address the issue and MIRS makes the
operator the sole provider of "kosher" cellular phones and services to the
community.
The phones, to be marked with a large, clear kashrut
stamp of approval, will prevent users from enjoying Internet, SMS, video
and voice mailbox services.
MIRS has been granted five months of
exclusivity to market the handsets instead of its original demand
requiring the community to commit to the purchase of 50,000
devices.
If the deal succeeds, the company could increase its
subscriber base by 25 percent, from its current 300,000 figure.
The
Ger rebbe, one of the ultra-Orthodox community's leaders, has promised to
support the deal.
MIRS has agreed to offer an attractive 20
agorot-per-minute price for intra-network calls. The company's 60
agorot-per-minute charge for calls to other cellular networks is
relatively high, and is intended to encourage ultra-Orthodox individuals
to use only MIRS phones while keeping community members from calling those
without kosher phones. The rate for calling Bezeq will be 32 agorot a
minute.
Groups that buy a large number of devices will enjoy a very
low 9 agorot-per-minute rate for intra-group calls.
The phones will
offer MIRS' walkie-talkie feature - push to talk - at a very low price in
an effort to replace the SMS option. MIRS also will offer trade-in rebates
and other benefits to users who switch from other companies.