Update November 14:
Google stands up to the carriers and enables RCS for all US Android users, bypassing carrier servers and CCMI.
Original Post:
In short, Google/Android's last best hope for an iMessage equivalent have been dashed. (This is after Hangouts/Allo/etc. were laid to rest.)
RCS was meant to be a global upgrade for SMS messaging, but had seen miniscule adoption by carriers (both worldwide and in the US). Recently, Google stated that it would activate RCS messaging on its own in countries where carriers failed to do so, starting with France and the UK. Apparently in response, the four major US carriers yesterday announced they'd come up with their own new system, CCMI, which is "based" on RCS, and will preinstall a new CCMI app on all [Android] phones they sell.
In their press release, the carriers state they welcome Google, Apple, and manufacturers to join in the new CCMI system, which offers the benefit of greater monetization opportunities (for the carriers). Whether this translates to access fees, spam, or in-app advertising is unclear. What is clear, though, is that RCS is dead in the US (and probably worldwide) unless Google takes drastic action (that it should have taken years ago).
[Before bubble-Era says "just use WhatsApp/Signal/WeChat/FB Messenger/Line/etc.," note that even each of those platforms is incompatible with the others, doesn't work with most automated systems, and has awful reach -- fragmentation is a major concern on a worldwide (or US-wide) scale. And iMessage isn't available on Android.]
Google stands up to the carriers and enables RCS for all US Android users, bypassing carrier servers and CCMI.
Original Post:
In short, Google/Android's last best hope for an iMessage equivalent have been dashed. (This is after Hangouts/Allo/etc. were laid to rest.)
RCS was meant to be a global upgrade for SMS messaging, but had seen miniscule adoption by carriers (both worldwide and in the US). Recently, Google stated that it would activate RCS messaging on its own in countries where carriers failed to do so, starting with France and the UK. Apparently in response, the four major US carriers yesterday announced they'd come up with their own new system, CCMI, which is "based" on RCS, and will preinstall a new CCMI app on all [Android] phones they sell.
In their press release, the carriers state they welcome Google, Apple, and manufacturers to join in the new CCMI system, which offers the benefit of greater monetization opportunities (for the carriers). Whether this translates to access fees, spam, or in-app advertising is unclear. What is clear, though, is that RCS is dead in the US (and probably worldwide) unless Google takes drastic action (that it should have taken years ago).
[Before bubble-Era says "just use WhatsApp/Signal/WeChat/FB Messenger/Line/etc.," note that even each of those platforms is incompatible with the others, doesn't work with most automated systems, and has awful reach -- fragmentation is a major concern on a worldwide (or US-wide) scale. And iMessage isn't available on Android.]
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