AT&T Utilizing Google’s Jibe Platform for Rich Communication Services Messages
Since 2021, AT&T has been supporting RCS messaging on Android phones, but some customers have reported issues with interoperability between different devices. However, this is set to change as Google’s senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, announced on Twitter that AT&T is moving its RCS backend to Google’s Jibe platform. This migration will provide AT&T customers with the latest RCS features instantly and resolve any lingering interoperability issues between AT&T phones and devices on different networks.
Today I’m excited to share that we’re working with AT&T to accelerate adoption of the RCS standard, and that AT&T’s default Android messaging will now be via the Jibe platform, so their users will get the latest RCS features instantly.
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) June 9, 2023
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have been committed to RCS since they launched the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative in 2019, but it wasn’t until after it announced that the partnership would end in 2021 and Google became more directly involved in promoting the platform that RCS began. find a foothold in the United States. In 2021, T-Mobile became the first carrier to commit to preloading Google Messages on its Android devices. A year later, Verizon did the same.
Google announced at I/O 2023 that RCS is used by more than 800 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow to one billion by the end of the year. Still, the platform has a major hurdle. Apple has shown no signs of interest in supporting RCS, although Google continues to raise the issue. Until something changes, RCS features like end-to-end encryption won’t work when Android users send text messages to friends and family using iPhones.
