Christian mobile carrier blocks pornography at network level

A newly launched wireless carrier targeting Christian consumers has drawn widespread attention for what cybersecurity experts say is the first U.S. cell phone plan to permanently block pornography at the network level — a restriction that even adult account holders cannot disable.

Radiant Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator that runs on T-Mobile’s 5G infrastructure, launched nationwide May 5 at $29.99 a month for unlimited talk, text and data, with a mission its founder describes as building a “Jesus-centric” online environment.

“We are going to create — and we think we have every right to do so — an environment that is Jesus-centric, that is void of pornography, void of LGBT, void of trans,” founder Paul Fisher told MIT Technology Review.

Unlike traditional parental controls or downloadable filtering apps, Radiant’s system operates directly on the cellular network. The company is working with Israeli cybersecurity firm Allot to sort website domains into more than 100 content categories, blocking some permanently and leaving others adjustable by account holders. Pornography falls in the permanent category — no subscriber, regardless of age, can disable the filter.

A separate default-on filter covering content Allot classifies as “sexuality,” which includes LGBT and gender-related material, is also applied to every device on an account, though adult subscribers may turn it off. TmoNews reported that additional categories blocked for minors include harmful drug content, tattoos and piercings, with parents able to adjust those settings.

Cybersecurity researchers say network-level filtering itself has long been used by telecom providers to block malicious sites and offer optional content controls for minors. What distinguishes Radiant is the mandatory, adult-proof nature of at least one of its filters.

“Blocking in the network is certainly not new,” said David Choffnes, executive director of Northeastern University’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute. “What is new is a U.S. cell plan instituting network-level blocks that can’t be removed, even by adults.”

Mr. Fisher, a former fashion industry talent agent who represented supermodels including Naomi Campbell and members of the Hilton and Getty families, said he came to the idea after a conversation with fashion executive Bernt Ullmann about actor Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile — which T-Mobile acquired in 2023 — showed him that a carrier could be built around a specific community rather than a mass market. He told MIT Technology Review that the inspiration felt spiritually driven: “God is talking to me. Do something in the faith-based industry.”

Chris Klimis, a minister who serves as Radiant Mobile’s chief operating officer, said concern about pornography’s reach was central to his involvement. He cited a Barna Research study finding that 67% of U.S. pastors have struggled with pornography at some point in their lives, with nearly one in five saying it remains a current struggle. A separate Common Sense Media survey of more than 1,300 teenagers found that 54% of respondents had first encountered online pornography before age 13.

“It’s not a judgment; we’re here to help people,” Mr. Klimis told The Christian Post. “I just hadn’t seen a tool that could help people.”

Radiant Mobile is also courting churches as partners, with Mr. Fisher saying the company has reached out to thousands of congregations nationwide and plans to direct a portion of each subscriber’s monthly fee to their chosen church.

Beyond content filtering, Radiant subscribers gain access to a library of faith-based programming, including AI-generated Bible-themed videos and religious educational content.

The company has raised $17.5 million from Compax Ventures. NVIDIA Vice President Roger Bringmann is listed as a lead investor and silent partner.

Radiant Mobile operates as an MVNO — a carrier that leases bandwidth from a major network rather than owning its own towers. T-Mobile said it has no direct relationship with Radiant Mobile and works through MVNO manager CompaxDigital, declining to say whether Radiant’s content filters violate any of its policies. Other niche MVNOs have similarly targeted consumers by identity or ideology; President Trump announced Trump Mobile last year, while CREDOMobile routes a share of revenue to progressive causes.

Mr. Fisher said he has longer-term plans to expand Radiant Mobile into international markets with significant Christian populations, naming South Korea and Mexico as targets.