From
http://business.theage.com.au/telstr...0507-2c1c.html

VODAFONE might have won the rights to Apple's coveted iPhone, but Telstra
has an even higher power working for it.

Telstra is the mobile network of choice for the Pope.

The Catholic Church has struck a deal with Australia's telco giant for Pope
Benedict XVI to text daily messages of "inspiration and hope" to the mobile
phones of thousands of young Catholics during World Youth Day 08 in Sydney
in July.

The Catholic Church will plunge into the digital era during the six-day
event, with the help of Telstra, in the hope that text messaging will help
the Pope connect with a younger audience.

Telstra has pulled out all the stops for the event - it will even erect
"digital prayer walls" at locations across Sydney. Young Catholics will be
able to text inspirational messages that will appear on the wall - after
some careful vetting by WYD08 organisers.

"We wanted to make WYD08 a unique experience by using new ways to connect
with today's tech-savvy youth," Bishop Anthony Fisher said after announcing
the deal.

Event organisers expect 225,000 young Catholics to attend the World Youth
Day events in mid-July, and all who subscribe to the Telstra service will
receive a daily text message from the Pope. The church will set up a social
networking website for the event, akin to the popular Facebook website.

Telstra has won the contract to provide voice, data, mobile, broadband and
webcast services for the event. "We are the official telecommunications
partner, so it's more of a promotional deal for us than a money-making
venture," said Telstra spokesman Peter Taylor.

With tens of thousands of overseas visitors expected to attend, Telstra has
put together a "WYD Prepaid Pilgrim Pack". For $99, pilgrims get a Nokia
mobile phone, a Telstra WYD08 sim card, $10 of calls or text messages and
$20 worth of overseas calls on a Telstra PhoneAway card. A lucky 20 pilgrims
who buy the pack will also win a VIP invitation to the final Papal Mass.