Google Adds RCS Feature for Texting 911

[Hails09]

Right. While many individuals are getting SMS free, businesses have to pay to send messages to carrier customers. SMS is one cost and RCS is a higher cost. Since read receipts, typing indicators and group messaging isn’t required for “your pizza is ready” or “please confirm your appointment”, there aren’t any businesses willing to pay to send those messages and, as a result, carriers aren’t paying to update their infrastructure to support RCS.

ANY of the carriers using Google’s RCS means those customers require a data plan. Since businesses can’t depend on their customers having paid for a data plan, that’s just one more reason why businesses aren’t going to move from SMS which allows them to contact ALL customers with cellular phones, whether smartphones or dumb phones.

And what happens in less than 8 years when 2g signal gets switched off & the lowest signal would be 4G.
These businesses will be forced to upgrade to better equipment

 

[Unregistered 4U]

And what happens in less than 8 years when 2g signal gets switched off & the lowest signal would be 4G.
These businesses will be forced to upgrade to better equipment

Those businesses are utilizing SMS over the carrier’s 4G LTE and will continue to do so as they have been doing for years. 2g signals haven’t been required for SMS for quite some time. You seem to think one is required for the other… it isn’t.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

What the regulator ofcom says if YOU want to continue to use mobile data you would need to buy a 4g mobile device.
As I’ve already said previously the way the market is going more people won’t have basic button phones & they will become the minority & more people will have RCS on by default.
It’s quite simple really even 8 year olds have smartphones now a days it’s just the normal thing & most come with a data plan.

I understand this is your opinion, there’s just no information out there that supports it. At least, not that I or any of the websites I’ve searched, have been able to find.

 

[Hails09]

Those businesses are utilizing SMS over the carrier’s 4G LTE and will continue to do so as they have been doing for years. 2g signals haven’t been required for SMS for quite some time. You seem to think one is required for the other… it isn’t.

The businesses will get dragged along as technology advances with this switch off & more people using RCS it’s only a matter of time before sms/mms is retired as it’s at least 40 years old at this point in time. Plus that’s why most cellular companies are starting to use RCS for messaging.

 

[Hails09]

I understand this is your opinion, there’s just no information out there that supports it. At least, not that I or any of the websites I’ve searched, have been able to find.

When you search 2G/3G switch off you ofcom comes up & they say if you don’t have 4g phone either you have to buy one if you want to use mobile data or talk to your provider so they can help you out.

 

[SMH4KIDIOT]

Google and Facebook and Skype back in the day, but corporate, capitalist greed took over

Do you know why Google is pushing so hard with RCS? Because in one country there is a battle for the souls... between green and blue fractions xD This is the sole and only reason Google is pushing it so hard. If it weren't for it (Android users are frowned upon) Google wouldn't give a flying F about interoperability, as it was shown time and time before.

RCS is the "new" standard and meant to supplant SMS as the primary communication protocol. All carriers are onboard, one of the most widely used mobile OS supports it, the only holdout is (was) the other major mobile operating system which is iOS. You can't have a standard if one of the 2 widely used mobile platforms does not support it. It is being pushed by everyone but like all things corporate, in a very inefficient way so as to protect their bottom line.

As for platforms that (will have) to be interoperable, and may use XMPP for that - I was referring to EU's Digital Markets Act that will force big IMs to be interoperable. And XMPP seems like a natural fit. Alternatively Matrix could be adopted as protocol…

XMPP is dying as a communication protocol. It has its use in some places still.

Btw. Sudar Pichai cares only about Google bottom-line, but it's so cute that you think it's about "the issue" and interoperability xD

Every corporation cares about their bottom line. Apple is on the record stating the only reason why they refused to make iMessage for other platforms is to lock in customers to protect their bottom line.

[citation_needed]?

You are aware that XMPP is used in A LOT of places, even if you are not using it explicitly (game chats for example)? Darn, even Google and Apple used it for their PUSH notifications for a veeeery long time.

New features to celebrate Messages' 1 billion RCS users

Google Messages welcomes a new era of personalized messaging with 7 new features to help your personality shine through.

blog.google

So... instead of trying to use interoperable protocol we cherish companies building their walled garden for profit and now somehow semi-open interoperable (but controlled completely by single entity virtually) is somehow different?

RCS is not controlled by Google. Google can't even get things like E2EE added to the protocol as they've been trying to push for years.

Google tried to do "good thing" back in the day and adopted XMPP and pushed hard but FB won the social media wars and once they got the traction and huge user-base they simply closed off XMPP bridge showing Google middle finger. Google tried their own IMs and constantly failed to get any traction (which became a meme at this point) so at one point they approached the issue of being cut off from messaging game from different angle…

RCS is google trying to do good and provide a modern messaging protocol that works better than SMS and MMS.

Erm... hypocrisy? "XMPP is bad because requires extensions and negotiation" but "RCS is awesome because it has extensions that have to be negotiated"? xD

Difference is one has basic features built into the protocol while the other relies on extensions for even basic things like media transfer.

BS. Granted that it took time but for a long time already (more than a decade) those are solved issues - and there is protocol extension for all of them. Offline messages were never a problem and it was baked into protocol since the start... and then there were servers message archives and synchronising it to multiple devices (which RCS doesn't seem to have?)… Yes, media transfer is an extension but then again you can have either a solid base with extensions or a bloatware called Matrix that has just single spec that includes "the sink"...

Those things shouldn't rely on extensions because they become optional features that the majority would not support.

[citation_needed]?

But please show explicit numbers that it's actually being used and not "being available".

As of Nov 2023

New features to celebrate Messages' 1 billion RCS users

Google Messages welcomes a new era of personalized messaging with 7 new features to help your personality shine through.

blog.google

Today marks a new milestone that we are incredibly proud of: There are now more than one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled in Google Messages.

 

[.wojtek]

RCS is the "new" standard and meant to supplant SMS as the primary communication protocol. All carriers are onboard, one of the most widely used mobile OS supports it, the only holdout is (was) the other major mobile operating system which is iOS. You can't have a standard if one of the 2 widely used mobile platforms does not support it. It is being pushed by everyone but like all things corporate, in a very inefficient way so as to protect their bottom line.

To me that's the issue - instead of moving forward with IM and un-galvanizing it from the mobile carrier we are getting stuck in this prehistoric means of communication... seriously people dropped using SMS because carriers were too greedy and now they try to sell RCS as something that solves users problems - it doesn't.

It brings more...

XMPP is dying as a communication protocol. It has its use in some places still.

It's getting killed because who wants interoperable standard ;-) if email haven't been invented when it was invented it would be impossible to send message from outlook to gmail or whatnot...

Every corporation cares about their bottom line. Apple is on the record stating the only reason why they refused to make iMessage for other platforms is to lock in customers to protect their bottom line.

Just like any other IM... but instead of pushing/regulating to use open IP-based protocol and interoperability we are being soled carrier-based stupidity...

RCS is google trying to do good and provide a modern messaging protocol that works better than SMS and MMS.

World moved beyond SMS and uses IP-based messagers that are not limited by carrier bottomline, works perfectly fine over wifi, and you are not charged gazzilion $/€ if you step on the wrong side of the border...

Those things shouldn't rely on extensions because they become optional features that the majority would not support.

And in 25 years RCS will became same obsolete sh*show relying on extensions...

You have either base proto + extensions (which gives you nice evolution path) or monoliths like matrix, that requires new protocol version each time feature is added... which gives you nightmares when it comes to compatibility. You could argue that you could have "fallbacks" but that's virtually base-proto + fixed set of extentions... 🤷‍♂️

Today marks a new milestone that we are incredibly proud of: There are now more than one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled in Google Messages.

Right... I do wonder how they calculate those "active" users... you know, maybe someone that has it enabled and opened messages once in a month because somehow RCS-enabled message was sent to that person?

Google is lovely vague about real data here xD

 

[BuffaloTF]

In theory, this should just work right off of their TTY functionality. And rolling off of that, it probably works today for those deaf or unable to speak.

 

[truthsteve]

RCS is currently being used by over 1 billion users, whatever confusion you think is happening is in your mind.

X number users has nothing to do with how confusing it is. all google did was enable a feature on an app that over a billion people use by default. terrible argument 🤣

 

[KevinN206]

rcs îs stupid though. such a terrible protocol

What makes it stupid and terrible? What protocol would you propose that would work for rich texting across multiple phone vendors and telecom?

 

[KevinN206]

Would be nice if Apple would work with emergency services worldwide to allow for people to iMessage to them. Wouldn't want to route my emergency call over Google servers.

Imagine worrying about data going through Google in an emergency.

 

[KevinN206]

I certainly hope not especially with google pioneering anything. Thankfully I use iMessage and I don’t have any android users aside from my mom I associate with and I can just as easily use one of the third party messaging apps I’ve been using.

If given the chance, rcs will be disabled and I’ve told my circle to do the same and I encourage any other non rcs fanboys/girls to do the same.

Imagine recommending others to use even less secured SMS and inferior service to others who are not informed. You are not helping them as you think you are doing.

 

[KevinN206]

We already had/have XMPP which was interoperable and clients could negotiate features but now... we need(ed) another standard tied to mobile operators instead of relying just on data that would offer independence and ability to use the device that you want…

Besides... almost noone is using SMS anymore (apart from just one silly country) so the whole thing is just moot 🤷‍♂️

While looking for the stats I mostly found texts along the lines of: "Consumers have fully embraced SMS messaging from businesses – when used properly. 90% want to receive useful, promotional messages via text instead of only email. [6]" so yeah... RCS looks like glorified marketing tube more than a communication tool. EUs push to make IMs platform interoperable (fingers crossed for settling down on XMPP) is the right move. We don't need RCS and being tied to mobile operators…

I'm still stuck with SMS communicating with iPhone users. RCS is still superior once Apple adopts it.

 

[KevinN206]

Right. While many individuals are getting SMS free, businesses have to pay to send messages to carrier customers. SMS is one cost and RCS is a higher cost. Since read receipts, typing indicators and group messaging isn’t required for “your pizza is ready” or “please confirm your appointment”, there aren’t any businesses willing to pay to send those messages and, as a result, carriers aren’t paying to update their infrastructure to support RCS.

ANY of the carriers using Google’s RCS means those customers require a data plan. Since businesses can’t depend on their customers having paid for a data plan, that’s just one more reason why businesses aren’t going to move from SMS which allows them to contact ALL customers with cellular phones, whether smartphones or dumb phones.

I thought it defaults back to SMS if RCS is not available?

 

[.wojtek]

RCS is the "new" standard and meant to supplant SMS as the primary communication protocol. All carriers are onboard, one of the most widely used mobile OS supports it, the only holdout is (was) the other major mobile operating system which is iOS. You can't have a standard if one of the 2 widely used mobile platforms does not support it. It is being pushed by everyone but like all things corporate, in a very inefficient way so as to protect their bottom line.

To me that's the issue - instead of moving forward with IM and un-galvanizing it from the mobile carrier we are getting stuck in this prehistoric means of communication... seriously people dropped using SMS because carriers were too greedy and now they try to sell RCS as something that solves users problems - it doesn't.

It brings more...

XMPP is dying as a communication protocol. It has its use in some places still.

It's getting killed because who wants interoperable standard ;-) if email haven't been invented when it was invented it would be impossible to send message from outlook to gmail or whatnot...

Every corporation cares about their bottom line. Apple is on the record stating the only reason why they refused to make iMessage for other platforms is to lock in customers to protect their bottom line.

Just like any other IM... but instead of pushing/regulating to use open IP-based protocol and interoperability we are being soled carrier-based stupidity...

RCS is google trying to do good and provide a modern messaging protocol that works better than SMS and MMS.

World moved beyond SMS and uses IP-based messagers that are not limited by carrier bottomline, works perfectly fine over wifi, and you are not charged gazzilion $/€ if you step on the wrong side of the border...

Those things shouldn't rely on extensions because they become optional features that the majority would not support.

And in 25 years RCS will became same obsolete sh*show relying on extensions...

You have either base proto + extensions (which gives you nice evolution path) or monoliths like matrix, that requires new protocol version each time feature is added... which gives you nightmares when it comes to compatibility. You could argue that you could have "fallbacks" but that's virtually base-proto + fixed set of extentions... 🤷‍♂️

Today marks a new milestone that we are incredibly proud of: There are now more than one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled in Google Messages.

Right... I do wonder how they calculate those "active" users... you know, maybe someone that has it enabled and opened messages once in a month because somehow RCS-enabled message was sent to that person?

Google is lovely vague about real data here xD

 

[.wojtek]

I'm still stuck with SMS communicating with iPhone users. RCS is still superior once Apple adopts it.

I think in the end everything boils to the location: USA is still stuck with SMS and iMessage while the other countries mostly use one IM or another...

 

[truthsteve]

What makes it stupid and terrible? What protocol would you propose that would work for rich texting across multiple phone vendors and telecom?

one that doesn't rely on carriers.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I thought it defaults back to SMS if RCS is not available?

Right, and that’s the whole point for anyone saying that RCS will replace SMS. For EVERY system that depends on Google for RCS, SMS will ALWAYS be the fallback, there’s no option for it not to be. And, with SMS as the fallback (meaning EVERYONE they want to communicate to will still be able to get a message via SMS), there’s absolutely no incentive for businesses to swap out their significant investments in SMS.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

The businesses will get dragged along as technology advances with this switch off & more people using RCS it’s only a matter of time before sms/mms is retired as it’s at least 40 years old at this point in time. Plus that’s why most cellular companies are starting to use RCS for messaging.

It’s at least 30, not 40 (32 as the first message was sent in 1992). And, unless carriers adopt RCS natively (like the ones in the US have not), RCS becomes “just another data messaging service” which requires a data plan. It doesn’t matter if more people use RCS, SMS will continue to be used as carriers make a great deal of money from b2b customers utilizing it. They have zero incentive to ever disable SMS.

 

[scorpio vega]

Imagine recommending others to use even less secured SMS and inferior service to others who are not informed. You are not helping them as you think you are doing.

We’ve all been using sms just fine. With no issues. Again nothing I sent am I paranoid about someone hacking.

95 percent of the world do not care.

And iMessage is not inferior to rcs. If it was google wouldn’t be whining so much to get apple to bring it.

I don’t want rcs of anything related to google on my phone. It’s why I had to stop using spotlight which is unfortunate.

 

[scorpio vega]

I think in the end everything boils to the location: USA is still stuck with SMS and iMessage while the other countries mostly use one IM or another...

Us android users also have rcs. So that’s irrelevant. It’s no different.

The only difference is Americans prefer sms over apps.

 

[scorpio vega]

RCS is google trying to do good and provide a modern messaging protocol that works better than SMS and MMS.

There is nothing good about google.

Imagine worrying about data going through Google in an emergency.

I’m not worried about google because I choose not to use their services. Imagine being bothered they ppl have a preference

 

[.wojtek]

Us android users also have rcs. So that’s irrelevant. It’s no different.

The only difference is Americans prefer sms over apps.

Thas basically what I said

 

[Havoc035]

Imagine worrying about data going through Google in an emergency.

Why yes, yes especially so in emergencies which can be very private occasions. And it's also just unnecessary to route those through Google.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Is RCS really going to replace sms? Seems like it’ll be around for a good while longer because of all of those 2Fa codes

I'd say with Apple finally adopting it it'll eventually replace about 90% of SMS traffic. There might be some 2FA codes left using SMS and of course it'll always be the fallback of last resort when you don't have data and only a cell signal, but for the most part I think RCS will be the main protocol for what we consider traditional texting once it's being used on all phones.