Bharti Airtel has renewed its partnership with Google, ending a year-long gap between the two companies regarding the rollout of rich communication services (RCS) messaging on the Indian operator’s network.
Both companies have now entered into an agreement under which Airtel will soon provide RCS, considered the next-generation alternative to SMS through Google’s platform. A company executive indicated that Airtel is expected to levy a charge of Rs 0.11 per message under an 80:20 revenue-sharing model with Google.
Unlike other operators, Airtel had previously refused to collaborate with Google or Apple to activate RCS. The operator maintained that the encrypted alternative channel could expose users to spam. It had also approached the telecom regulator, seeking to extend anti-spam regulations to over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
Further, Google has agreed to link RCS with Airtel’s intelligent spam filter, according to people familiar with the matter. This integration is believed to have influenced the latest understanding between the two.
