Reclaiming Control: Why MNOs Must Act Now on RCS!
The industry is witnessing a subtle yet significant shift in mobile messaging, spearheaded by Google's vision for Rich Communication Services (RCS). While the promise of enhanced communication features for Android users is apparent, the strategic implications for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) demand immediate attention.
Our analysis suggests that Google's approach to RCS deployment is attempting to mirror successful over-the-top (OTT) messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Apple iMessage. The deliberate, phased rollout, starting with default integration into Android devices, is designed to cultivate widespread user adoption. This gradual adaptation/acclamation to RCS features makes it increasingly challenging for MNOs to later restrict its use without risking subscriber dissatisfaction.
The data speaks for itself. Over the past year, a substantial portion of MNO subscriber bases – nearing half in many cases – are already utilizing RCS.
When RCS is unavailable, Android devices automatically revert to SMS. Based on our experience, the current RCS feature set is limited enough that when our RCS firewall blocks access, most subscribers accept the fallback with minimal disruption or complaints. However, this dynamic is likely to shift as RCS capabilities expand and users become more dependent on its advanced features.
We contend that MNOs are at a critical juncture. The time is now to gain a comprehensive understanding of the RCS traffic traversing your networks. Implementing robust measurement tools like Mobius’ DataSentry will likely reveal a scale of RCS usage that warrants immediate strategic consideration and attention.
The implications of inaction are clear. Allowing the unchecked growth of RCS risks the erosion of traditional messaging revenues, both Application-to-Person (A2P) and Person-to-Person (P2P). Our experience indicates that proactively blocking RCS can lead to a significant revenue uplift – potentially close to 20% in the A2P segment alone, with a noticeable positive impact on P2P revenue.
The success of WhatsApp's expansive ecosystem, boasting nearly two billion users and diverting substantial revenue away from MNOs and local tax authorities, serves as a potent example. Google's ambition with RCS appears to be a replication of this model within the native Android environment.
However, MNOs still possess the power to shape a different outcome. By acting decisively now – implementing monitoring, understanding usage patterns, and strategically controlling RCS traffic – MNOs can create the leverage needed to engage with Google and other stakeholders. The goal is to foster a collaborative ecosystem that fairly benefits all parties: subscribers, MNOs, tax authorities, and the owners of RCS and Android.
Delay only strengthens the hand of those who seek to replicate the OTT disruption within the core messaging space. The window of opportunity to proactively manage RCS and secure your revenue future is rapidly closing.
Which Tools Are Most Critical to Identify, Monitor, and Stop International Voice Fraud?
CDR Analytics? Test Calls? Data Firewall?
Answer: All of them!
Mobius is excited to share the chart below, which illustrates the effectiveness of our DataSentry OTT Voice Bypass Blocking in action. This data comes from a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) where thousands of test calls are made into the network daily to detect and analyze fraud patterns.
In this chart:
The orange line represents test calls that were identified as OTT (Over-The-Top) Voice Bypass Fraud.
The green line reflects test calls associated with SIM Box Fraud.
Starting around March 25, Mobius gradually rolled out our OTT Voice Bypass blocking solution. The results are clear:
OTT Fraud dropped dramatically—the orange line nearly disappears.
However, SIM Box fraud spiked significantly—as indicated by the sharp rise in the green line.
This "good news / bad news" scenario highlights two important takeaways:
OTT Voice Bypass Fraud is real—and Mobius can stop it.
Our DataSentry tool proved highly effective in identifying and blocking OTT routes.Fraud is adaptive.
As OTT paths were blocked, fraudsters shifted to SIM Box methods. Unfortunately, without efficient SIM Box detection and automatic shutdown mechanisms in place, the MNO was unable to fully recover the lost international voice revenue.
Key Insight:
Stopping international voice fraud requires a multi-layered defense strategy. Success depends on the combined use of:
CDR Analytics
Test Call Campaigns
Real-time Fraud Detection & Blocking (like DataSentry)
Automated SIM Shutdown Tools
When these tools work in sync, the result is a measurable and sustainable increase in international voice traffic revenue.
Does your Mobile Network Operator (MNO) have RCS?
Short answer: Yes. But it’s more complicated than that.
If you’ve ever asked this question—or are still unsure—you're not alone. By design, RCS (Rich Communication Services) deployment is confusing. This Wikipedia link (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Communication_Services) lists 101 MNOs that explicitly support RCS. That may sound like a large number—until you realize there are over 700 MNOs globally.
A few things to understand:
As of August 2023, RCS is the default messaging app on all Android phones. That means every MNO in the world with Android users is carrying RCS traffic, whether they’ve formally integrated it or not.A lot of operators think, “We haven’t done an RCS deal with Google, so we don’t have it.”
But that’s not how it works. If you’re not managing RCS, you’re leaking A2P and P2P revenue.At Mobius, we talk to MNOs all the time who are surprised to find out how much RCS traffic is already flowing through their network. In many cases, it's affecting nearly half of their user base.
So—yes, your MNO has RCS.
The real question is: are you doing anything about it?
Mobius has increased MNO’s A2P Revenue as much as 20% by implementing an RCS firewall