Rich Communication Services Market Size and Share

Rich Communication Services Market (2025 - 2030)
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Rich Communication Services Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The rich communication services market reached USD 2.87 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 8.89 billion by 2030, reflecting a 25.37% CAGR. Growing enterprise appetite for media-rich, branded customer engagement is pushing businesses to migrate from plain SMS to interactive messaging that supports images, video, and actionable buttons. Expanded carrier support, the inclusion of RCS in iOS 18, and Google’s report of more than 1 billion U.S. RCS messages per day underscore a tipping point in mainstream adoption. Large enterprises remain the principal revenue source, yet cloud-native CPaaS platforms are lowering entry barriers for small and medium businesses. Geographic momentum is strongest in Asia-Pacific as regional operators use 5G networks to support rich media traffic, while North America holds its lead on the back of long-standing carrier interoperability. Regulatory moves toward verified sender IDs are creating additional pull for enterprises that need secure, authenticated channels for customer contact.[1]FCC, “Emergency Communications by Rich Communication Services,” FCC, fcc.gov

Key Report Takeaways

  • By communication type, Application-to-Person traffic led with 61.8% of rich communication services market share in 2024; Person-to-Application traffic is forecast to expand at a 31.5% CAGR to 2030.
  • By deployment model, cloud solutions accounted for 72.9% of revenue in 2024, while on-premise solutions trailed but remain essential for industries with strict data-sovereignty rules.
  • By enterprise size, large organizations held 57% of 2024 revenue, whereas SMEs post the fastest 29.3% CAGR through 2030 as affordable SaaS offerings take hold.
  • By end-user industry, retail and e-commerce captured 26.3% of revenue in 2024; that segment is poised for a 32.9% CAGR through 2030 on the back of conversational commerce.
  • By region, North America controlled 38.5% of revenue in 2024; Asia-Pacific is the quickest-expanding region at a 30.4% CAGR. 

Segment Analysis

By Communication Type: A2P Commands Revenue Leadership

A2P traffic delivered 61.8% of 2024 revenue, making it the backbone of the rich communication services market. Banks, retailers, and airlines use multimedia cards and quick replies to convert routine notifications into conversational touchpoints that drive incremental sales. Person-to-Application conversations, though currently smaller, are expanding 31.5% annually as AI chatbots mature and consumers grow comfortable completing transactions inside a thread. This uptick will increase the rich communication services market size for P2A flows at a double-digit clip through 2030. 

Enterprises are documenting conversion jumps of 8–10 percentage points when migrating loyalty promotions from SMS to RCS. Case studies in India show a 358% traffic surge for CPaaS provider Gupshup after integrating Vertex AI chatbots. Person-to-Person usage also climbs in markets with seamless iOS–Android interconnect, though monetization is operator-driven rather than enterprise-driven. High-engagement sectors such as gaming and ticketing rely on P2A flows to manage waitlists and authentication, signaling an evolving mix within the communication-type hierarchy. 

Rich Communication Services Market
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By Deployment Model: Cloud Dominance Reflects API-First Strategies

Cloud-hosted platforms generated 72.9% of 2024 revenue, mirroring broader enterprise moves to eliminate cap-ex-heavy, on-premise messaging gateways. Multinational brands favor public-cloud RCS because it dovetails with existing CRM, CDP, and marketing-automation stacks via REST APIs. 

On-premise environments remain non-trivial in sectors such as defense, healthcare, and government where data-residency laws require local processing. Those deployments stand to benefit from hybrid architectures in which sensitive content is rendered behind the firewall while global reach rides public-cloud interconnects. Twilio’s public beta underscores the vendor push to abstract carrier complexity behind SDKs, letting developers spin up RCS alongside SMS, WhatsApp, and email within one dashboard. 

By End-user Enterprise Size: SMEs Accelerate Uptake

Large organizations held 57.09% of 2024 revenue, drawn by global reach, brand verification, and analytics dashboards that fit existing martech workflows. However, SMEs are set to grow 29.3% per year as SaaS providers bundle RCS into entry-level plans with drag-and-drop templates. This democratization will expand the rich communication services market share held by SMEs to roughly one-third by 2030. 

Smaller retailers deploy conversational catalogs with embedded pay-now buttons, turning a single message into a storefront. Automated compliance features relieve resource-constrained teams from managing opt-outs and data-protection audits. As low-code tooling matures, onboarding times are shrinking from weeks to hours, removing yet another adoption barrier for small businesses. 

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By End-User Industry: Retail and E-Commerce Lead Conversational Commerce

Retail retained 26.3% revenue share in 2024 thanks to product carousels, personalized promotions, and check-out inside a chat thread, all of which cut friction in the customer journey. The segment’s 32.9% CAGR will push the rich communication services market size for retail to USD 3.2 billion by 2030. Banking and financial services are fast followers, employing RCS for two-factor authentication, portfolio updates, and interactive statements. 

Healthcare providers lean on RCS for appointment reminders and medication adherence prompts, reducing no-show rates. Travel brands send dynamic boarding passes that auto-update gate changes, while media firms distribute trailers and ticket offers. Across industries, venture capital is flowing into plug-ins that connect e-commerce carts, payment gateways, and loyalty engines directly to RCS payloads, broadening monetizable use-cases. 

Geography Analysis

North America generated 38.5% of 2024 revenue, underpinned by early universal profile adoption across Verizon, ATandT, and T-Mobile. Google’s disclosure of more than 1 billion daily RCS messages in the U.S. illustrates mature consumer uptake. Regulatory clarity also helps: the FCC now recognizes RCS for emergency 911 texts, encouraging municipalities and enterprises alike to adopt authenticated channel. The region’s high ARPU lets carriers capture incremental revenue through business messaging fees. 

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing geography at a 30.4% CAGR, stimulated by ultra-high smartphone penetration and government digitization programs. India records 50 million monthly enterprise messages on a single CPaaS platform and is projected to eclipse North America in traffic volume by 2027. Japan and South Korea exhibit plus-70% RCS user ratios, proving how 5G density correlates with rich-media adoption. Despite fragmented operator landscapes, initiatives such as the GSMA Interconnect Hub aim to streamline cross-border routing, further boosting the rich communication services market in the region. 

Europe posts steady expansion as data-protection regulations and Digital Markets Act interoperability rules favor verified, operator-controlled messaging over unregulated OTT apps. Deutsche Telekom’s EUR 115.8 billion 2024 revenue includes a growing slice from RCS-enabled value-added services. Conversely, the UK debate over lawful interception vis-à-vis Apple’s encrypted RCS shows that regulatory uncertainty can temporarily dampen deployment, yet enterprises continue pilot projects to gauge engagement lift. Latin America remains early-stage but is notable for outsized conversational commerce usage, especially in Brazil where tier-one carriers completed their first large-scale campaigns during 2024. 

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Competitive Landscape

The rich communication services market shows moderate consolidation as CPaaS leaders buy regional voice, messaging, and routing specialists to shore up global coverage. Sinch’s USD 1.14 billion purchase of Inteliquent secures direct interconnect to U.S. operators, lowering latency and cost for A2P traffic. Proximus Group’s pending takeover of Route Mobile would elevate combined revenue above EUR 2 billion by 2026, laying groundwork for a pan-European platform. Twilio counters by accelerating product velocity, rolling RCS into its omnichannel studio to defend share against newly bulked-up challengers. 

Technology differentiation increasingly revolves around AI and automation. Gupshup embeds Google Vertex AI to create self-learning chat flows that surface personalized offers on the fly, reducing manual campaign design and improving statistical lift. Infobip deploys predictive audience segmentation, while Samsung files patents on augmented-reality overlays for future message formats. Providers with proprietary data models gain an edge, translating customer behavior into conversion-boosting content blocks. 

Regional operators also play deal-maker: Singtel’s alliance with Sinch covers Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, marrying carrier reach with CPaaS orchestration. This trend positions telcos not just as dumb pipes but as co-owners of enterprise engagement stacks. Competitive pressure is therefore shifting toward securing exclusive operator APIs, deeper wallet integrations, and advanced compliance features that answer vertical-specific needs. 

Rich Communication Services Industry Leaders

  1. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd

  2. Google LLC

  3. AT&T Inc.

  4. Verizon Communications Inc.

  5. Vodafone Group plc

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Rich Communication Services Market Concentration
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Recent Industry Developments

  • May 2025: Attentive unveiled RCS Business Messaging at Shoptalk 2025, targeting 2.2 billion active subscribers by 2028 through AI-driven personalization, supported by Verizon, ATandT, and T-Mobile.
  • November 2024: Samsung and Google expanded their partnership to pre-install Messages by Google across Galaxy devices, positioning RCS as the default messaging standard globally.
  • October 2024: Sinch and Singtel launched Singapore’s first RCS Business Messaging service, enhancing regional CPaaS coverage in Asia-Pacific.
  • June 2024: Infobip integrated Google Vertex AI with its RCS platform, enabling brands to deploy intelligent chatbots for automated customer interactions.

Table of Contents for Rich Communication Services Industry Report

1. INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Market Drivers
    • 4.2.1 Enterprise demand for A2P RCS business messaging
    • 4.2.2 iOS-17 support and expanding Android OEM pre-installs
    • 4.2.3 5G roll-outs boosting high-resolution rich media traffic
    • 4.2.4 Regulatory shift toward verified sender ID and anti-spam rules
    • 4.2.5 CPaaS integration unlocking omni-channel orchestration
    • 4.2.6 In-message payments (RCS MaaP) enabling conversational commerce
  • 4.3 Market Restraints
    • 4.3.1 Fragmented global operator interoperability
    • 4.3.2 Absence of full end-to-end encryption
    • 4.3.3 OTT super-apps cannibalising enterprise wallet share
    • 4.3.4 Unclear operator monetisation models delaying pricing
  • 4.4 Value Chain Analysis
  • 4.5 Regulatory Landscape
  • 4.6 Technological Outlook
  • 4.7 Porter's Five Forces
    • 4.7.1 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.7.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
    • 4.7.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    • 4.7.4 Threat of Substitutes
    • 4.7.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
  • 4.8 Industry Stakeholder Analysis
  • 4.9 RCS Evolution and Implementation
    • 4.9.1 Evolution of RCS
    • 4.9.2 Use-Cases and Implementation Studies
    • 4.9.3 Major Applications
  • 4.10 Impact of RCS on Native SMS
    • 4.10.1 A2P vs OTT traffic trend analysis
    • 4.10.2 Digital advertising revenue share implications
    • 4.10.3 Anticipated P2P migration patterns
  • 4.11 RCS Roadmap for Major MNOs

5. MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH FORECASTS (VALUE)

  • 5.1 By Communication Type
    • 5.1.1 A2P (Application-to-Person)
    • 5.1.2 P2P (Person-to-Person)
    • 5.1.3 P2A (Person-to-Application)
    • 5.1.4 Others
  • 5.2 By Deployment Model
    • 5.2.1 Cloud
    • 5.2.2 On-Premise
  • 5.3 By End-user Enterprise Size
    • 5.3.1 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
    • 5.3.2 Large Enterprises
  • 5.4 By End-User Industry
    • 5.4.1 BFSI
    • 5.4.2 Media and Entertainment
    • 5.4.3 Retail and E-commerce
    • 5.4.4 Travel and Hospitality
    • 5.4.5 Healthcare
    • 5.4.6 IT and Telecom
    • 5.4.7 Others
  • 5.5 By Geography
    • 5.5.1 North America
    • 5.5.1.1 United States
    • 5.5.1.2 Canada
    • 5.5.1.3 Mexico
    • 5.5.2 South America
    • 5.5.2.1 Brazil
    • 5.5.2.2 Argentina
    • 5.5.2.3 Rest of South America
    • 5.5.3 Europe
    • 5.5.3.1 Germany
    • 5.5.3.2 United Kingdom
    • 5.5.3.3 France
    • 5.5.3.4 Italy
    • 5.5.3.5 Russia
    • 5.5.3.6 Spain
    • 5.5.3.7 Switzerland
    • 5.5.3.8 Rest of Europe
    • 5.5.4 Asia-Pacific
    • 5.5.4.1 China
    • 5.5.4.2 India
    • 5.5.4.3 Japan
    • 5.5.4.4 South Korea
    • 5.5.4.5 Malaysia
    • 5.5.4.6 Singapore
    • 5.5.4.7 Vietnam
    • 5.5.4.8 Indonesia
    • 5.5.4.9 Rest of Asia-Pacific
    • 5.5.5 Middle East and Africa
    • 5.5.5.1 Middle East
    • 5.5.5.1.1 Saudi Arabia
    • 5.5.5.1.2 United Arab Emirates
    • 5.5.5.1.3 Turkey
    • 5.5.5.1.4 Rest of Middle East
    • 5.5.5.2 Africa
    • 5.5.5.2.1 Nigeria
    • 5.5.5.2.2 South Africa
    • 5.5.5.2.3 Rest of Africa

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

  • 6.1 Market Concentration
  • 6.2 Strategic Moves
  • 6.3 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global-level Overview)
    • 6.4.1 ATandT Inc.
    • 6.4.2 Verizon Communications Inc.
    • 6.4.3 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    • 6.4.4 Google LLC
    • 6.4.5 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.6 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.7 ZTE Corporation
    • 6.4.8 Mavenir Systems, Inc.
    • 6.4.9 Sinch AB
    • 6.4.10 Global Message Services AG
    • 6.4.11 Juphoon System Software Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.12 Summit Tech
    • 6.4.13 T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    • 6.4.14 SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.15 Telstra Corporation Limited
    • 6.4.16 Vodafone Group plc
    • 6.4.17 Orange S.A.
    • 6.4.18 Deutsche Telekom AG
    • 6.4.19 Twilio Inc.
    • 6.4.20 Infobip Ltd.
    • 6.4.21 Gupshup Technology India Pvt. Ltd.
    • 6.4.22 Route Mobile Limited
    • 6.4.23 MessageBird B.V.

7. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

  • 7.1 White-space and Unmet-need Assessment
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Research Methodology Framework and Report Scope

Market Definitions and Key Coverage

In our study, Mordor Intelligence defines the global Rich Communication Services (RCS) market as the annual revenues earned when mobile network operators, CPaaS vendors, or aggregators deliver GSMA-compliant, IP-based messaging, calling, and content-sharing features through the phone's native client to enterprises or consumers. The figure captures platform license fees, connectivity and routing charges, verified-sender surcharges, and related enablement revenues.

Scope Exclusions: Over-the-top chat apps, proprietary push-notification channels, handset sales, and pure SMS or MMS traffic fall outside this analysis.

Segmentation Overview

  • By Communication Type
    • A2P (Application-to-Person)
    • P2P (Person-to-Person)
    • P2A (Person-to-Application)
    • Others
  • By Deployment Model
    • Cloud
    • On-Premise
  • By End-user Enterprise Size
    • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
    • Large Enterprises
  • By End-User Industry
    • BFSI
    • Media and Entertainment
    • Retail and E-commerce
    • Travel and Hospitality
    • Healthcare
    • IT and Telecom
    • Others
  • By Geography
    • North America
      • United States
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • South America
      • Brazil
      • Argentina
      • Rest of South America
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Italy
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Rest of Europe
    • Asia-Pacific
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • South Korea
      • Malaysia
      • Singapore
      • Vietnam
      • Indonesia
      • Rest of Asia-Pacific
    • Middle East and Africa
      • Middle East
        • Saudi Arabia
        • United Arab Emirates
        • Turkey
        • Rest of Middle East
      • Africa
        • Nigeria
        • South Africa
        • Rest of Africa

Detailed Research Methodology and Data Validation

Primary Research

Mordor analysts interviewed carrier product heads, CPaaS solution architects, and enterprise messaging buyers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, then ran structured surveys with SMEs.

These interactions validated penetration assumptions, uncovered regional price dispersion, and highlighted capex or policy hurdles that secondary sources missed.

Desk Research

We began by mining high-credibility public statistics from sources such as GSMA, ITU, the Ericsson Mobility Report, CTIA, and national telecom regulators, which let us size the RCS-capable smartphone base and average traffic per user. Operator 10-K filings, investor decks, and press coverage compiled through Dow Jones Factiva and D&B Hoovers helped benchmark enterprise adoption rates and blended message pricing. Academic journals plus 3GPP release notes traced protocol evolution and cost curves, while trade-body white papers and customs records (via Questel) offered extra signals on gateway deployments. The sources listed illustrate our approach; many additional open and paid references were consulted to corroborate data points and assumptions.

Market-Sizing & Forecasting

We construct a top-down model that multiplies the live RCS-enabled handset base by average monthly sessions and monetizable take-rates, then applies regional blended revenue per session. Select bottom-up checks, operator-reported A2P traffic volumes and sampled API billings, fine-tune outputs. Key inputs include 5G population coverage, verified-sender roll-out pace, cloud API pricing, and iOS adoption scenarios. Forecasts use multivariate regression, allowing handset growth and A2P conversion to explain most variance, while scenario analysis stress-tests the model for regulatory or platform shocks.

Data Validation & Update Cycle

Every estimate passes peer review, variance audits against third-party indicators, and reconciliation with historical currency series.

Reports refresh annually; interim updates are issued if major events shift traffic or pricing.

Why Mordor's Rich Communication Services Baseline Commands Reliability

Published RCS figures often diverge because firms bundle wider CPaaS revenues, apply aggressive penetration curves, or freeze exchange rates, whereas Mordor's disciplined scope, region-specific traffic benchmarks, and dual-path modeling keep the baseline balanced and transparent.

Benchmark comparison

Market Size Anonymized source Primary gap driver
USD 2.87 B (2025) Mordor Intelligence -
USD 11.7 B (2025) Global Consultancy A Adds SMS & voice CPaaS, assumes universal Android roll-out
USD 10.14 B (2025) Research Boutique B Counts chat-app business APIs as RCS revenue
USD 3.22 B (2024) Industry Association C Models only P2P traffic, omits enterprise A2P streams

The comparison shows that, once differing scopes are stripped away, Mordor's USD 2.87 billion baseline aligns closest to operator-reported monetizable traffic, giving decision-makers a dependable starting point.

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Key Questions Answered in the Report

How fast is the rich communication services market expected to grow?

The market is forecast to expand at a 25.37% CAGR from USD 2.87 billion in 2025 to USD 8.89 billion by 2030.

Which segment currently contributes the most revenue?

Application-to-Person messaging delivered 61.8% of 2024 revenue, making it the single largest segment.

Why are SMEs adopting RCS so quickly?

Cloud-based CPaaS models provide low-cost APIs and pre-built templates, allowing SMEs to launch branded campaigns without heavy IT investment.

Which is the fastest growing region in Rich Communication Services Market?

Asia Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period (2025-2030).

What role does 5G play in RCS adoption?

5G networks support high-resolution media and low-latency interactions, enabling richer in-message experiences that increase engagement rates.

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