The four major US mobile operators AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have announced a “joint venture” they are calling the “Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative”, or CCMI . It marks a concerted move to bring enriched messaging services to more US smartphone users.
Currently when sending SMS texts, you can’t add many things like emojis and GIFs with the guarantee the person on the other end is going to be able to view it. SMS is rooted in the early 2000s, while services like iMessage (controlled by Apple) and WhatsApp (controlled by Facebook) are alternative apps used by many to send more, well, exciting messages.
The initiative is set to roll out for Android devices across the US in 2020, with a specific date unconfirmed.
CCMI, the operators say, will use RCS which is short for Rich Communications Services. RCS does what it says and improves messaging for users, but it is quite complicated to actually implement, and there is no universal or even countrywide standard for it anywhere.
The news comes the week after T-Mobile and Sprint announced that its proposed merger was all but approved.
“People love text messaging for a reason. Texting is trusted, reliable and readily available—which is why we’re using it to build the foundation of a simple, immersive messaging experience,” said David Christopher, executive vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility. “This service will power new and innovative ways for customers to engage with each other and their favorite brands.”
In the US iMessage reins supreme as it is one of the only countries where iPhones are the majority smartphone. It means that Android users still rely on SMS services and all their ancient tech.
For the rest of the world SMS is used a little less, particularly in Europe where WhatsApp is king and in China where WeChat is practically a one app fits all experience for payments and travel as well as messaging.
There are a few things that might put you off using a future version of CCMI though. Unlike iMessage and WhatsApp, RCS services are not end to end encrypted, and when The Verge asked Doug Garland, the general manager at CCMI, he refused to confirm or deny whether the service would be encrypted.
Author: Henry Burrell, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Previously Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, Henry covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
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A vote within the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved T-Mobile’s proposed merger with fellow mobile operator and rival Sprint. Reuters first reported the $26.5 million deal with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and two Republican commissions voting in favour and notably two Democratic commissioners voting against.
Such mergers are treated with scepticism as historically consolidation leads to higher prices for the consumer in the face of less market competition. A strongly worded piece in The Atlantic from one of the voting Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel attests to this.
“Shrinking the number of national providers from four to three will hurt consumers, harm competition, and eliminate thousands of jobs. In deciding to overlook these harms, the FCC and the Department of Justice have been wooed by a few unenforceable concessions and hollow promises from the two companies involved,” writes Rosenworcel.
She argues that the lack of competition in the mobile network space will “mean an end to the competitive rivalry that reduced consumer rates by 28 percent during the past decade. Similarly, the pressure to support unlimited-data plans and free international roaming will fade.”
Such thinking is the reason why in the UK market BT was barely allowed to purchase EE and why Three was unable to have its proposed acquisition of O2 approved. The UK market is currently not the cheapest, but data plans are substantially less expensive when compared to the US.
The sheer size of the US means there is not one operator that can offer nationwide coverage. With a T-Mobile and Sprint merger that may well change, but it is thought that it will be at the expense of the consumer and the price they will have to pay.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere tweeted celebrating the decision and linked to a video statement where he promises “robust competition and lower prices across wireless, video and broadband” – a statement that has been met with pessimism.
The votes are IN and we’re one step closer to bringing New T-Mobile to American consumers. We appreciate the diligent evaluation, time and attention the @FCC commissioners took to assess our transaction. key info: https://t.co/Ioa23FUBQe — John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 16, 2019
A US lawsuit is still due to go to trial in December to stop the merger.
Author: Henry Burrell, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Previously Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, Henry covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
Recent stories by Henry Burrell:
- EE’s new home broadband plans come with Wi-Fi booster discs
- Report names South Korea as leader in 5G deployment with UK sixth
- Vodafone offers six months of free broadband to small UK businesses
