Google has been toying with the Rich Communications Service (RCS) platform for a few years now, and represents the GSMA-initiated technology’s only real chance of relevance. RCS was supposed to rescue mobile operators’ voice and messaging revenues from the rise of over-the-top alternatives like Skype, WhatsApp and WeChat, by allowing MNOs to launch added-value services that relied on their cellular networks and provided differentiation against OTT offerings, and so could be charged for. This seemed like a vain hope against the free services, outside of some high value enterprise voice and messaging requirements. Limited operator uptake and even slower moves to make different MNOs’ services interoperable did not help to stem the tide of Skype and WhatsApp. Then Google stepped…