India, April 8 -- The RCS bandwagon has gained further momentum, with China's three big telcos jointly announcing plans for rich 5G messaging.

The telcos held an online press conference Wednesday to release a white paper on their proposal and to start selling the idea to potential partners.

The appeal to operators in China as elsewhere is obvious.

They can create a messaging service with equivalent functionality and ease-of-use to that of the big OTT services. They can also monetize it as an interactive digital marketing channel to brands.

China Telecom Vice President Wang Guoquan said the new 5G messaging services would enhance 5G innovation and help turn 5G from "the biggest variable affecting the telecom industry" into the biggest ...