Google, through various partnerships in Latin America, has announced that RCS Messaging will be rolling out to various carriers in the region over the coming months.
Today we’re excited to announce that we’re working with leading carriers América Móvil, AT&T in México, Oi and Telefónica to bring RCS messaging to people across Latin America. In collaboration with these carriers, we’ll roll out RCS messaging in the countries where they operate over time, bringing better messaging to more than two thirds of all mobile subscribers in Latin America.
The news means that subscribers to these carriers will be able to communicate in a more rich way than plain SMS, offering the ability to send GIFs and other rich media as well as have group messaging across international borders.
For those who are not familiar, RCS Messaging is Rich Communication Services and has been rolling out here in the United States and Europe for a while now. It offers a more “smartphone” experience over SMS as Google likes to say.
Google has been working with the GSMA to develop the RCS standard to make the platform more universal. Once RCS is rolled out in Latin America, a user in Mexico City could have a group message with someone in Montreal and in Chicago, something that isn’t possible in SMS.
The rollout of RCS Messaging is going to take several months and once it is available with your carrier, an update to the Android Messages app will be available to enable RCS.
Check out all the details in Google’s announcement.
