TEL AVIV--Bezeq Israel Telecom, the country's dominant phone company, on Sunday launched a service that would block calls to porn and other "improper" destinations in a bid to attract ultra-Orthodox customers. Avi Gabbay, Bezeq's chief executive officer, said at a news conference the company had invested $500,000 on the new "Kosher phone line" service, which initially will be free and has been approved by Israel's leading rabbis.
He noted that although the main market will be the ultra-Orthodox--who typically live in their own communities and refrain from many secular activities--the service will be open to all. Bezeq said 90 percent of Israel's ultra-Orthodox, which is a poor sector but growing rapidly and retains heavy clout in the government, use Bezeq's services.
Israel's mobile phone operators already offer similar services.
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