DALLAS and OVERLAND
PARK, Kan. and BELLEVUE,
Wash. and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 24,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon
have created a joint venture - the Cross Carrier Messaging
Initiative (CCMI) - to deliver the next generation of messaging to
consumers and businesses. The service, based on GSMA's Rich
Communications Service (RCS) industry standard, will enable an
engaging way for consumers to interact and transact with each other
and with businesses.
To enable the service, the CCMI joint venture is working to
develop and deploy the standards-based, interoperable messaging
service starting with Android and expected in 2020. Working with
its carrier ownership group and other companies in the RCS
ecosystem, the CCMI service will:
- Drive a robust business-to-consumer messaging ecosystem and
accelerate the adoption of Rich Communications Services (RCS)
- Enable an enhanced experience to privately send individual or
group chats across carriers with high quality pictures and
videos
- Provide consumers with the ability to chat with their favorite
brands, order a rideshare, pay bills or schedule appointments, and
more
- Create a single seamless, interoperable RCS experience across
carriers, both in the U.S. and globally
"People love text messaging for a reason. Texting is trusted,
reliable and readily available—which is why we're using it to build
the foundation of a simple, immersive messaging experience," said
David Christopher, executive vice
president and general manager, AT&T Mobility. "This service
will power new and innovative ways for customers to engage with
each other and their favorite brands."
"The CCMI will bring a consistent, engaging experience that
makes it easy for consumers and businesses to interact in an
environment they can trust," said Michel
Combes, President & CEO of Sprint. "As we have seen in
Asia, messaging is poised to
become the next significant digital platform. CCMI will make
it easy for consumers to navigate their lives from a
smartphone."
"At the Un-carrier, customers drive everything we do, and that's
no different here," said John
Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. "Efforts like CCMI help move the
entire industry forward so we can give customers more of what they
want and roll out new messaging capabilities that work the same
across providers and even across countries."
"At Verizon, our customers depend on reliable text messaging to
easily connect them to the people they care about most. Yet, we can
deliver even more working together as an industry," said
Ronan Dunne, CEO of Verizon Consumer
Group. "CCMI will create the foundation for an innovative digital
platform that not only connects consumers with friends and family,
but also offers a seamless experience for consumers to connect with
businesses in a compelling and trusted environment."
More details will be announced at a later date.
About AT&T Communications
We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways
every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video
streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the nation's
fastest wireless network.* And according to America's biggest test,
we have the nation's best wireless network.** We're
building FirstNet just for first responders and creating
next-generation mobile 5G. With DIRECTV, DIRECTV
NOW and WatchTV, we deliver entertainment people love to
talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve nearly 3
million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And
worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to
their communities. AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc.
(NYSE:T). Learn more at att.com/CommunicationsNews.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T
brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about
AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com.
Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook
at facebook.com/att and on YouTube
at youtube.com/att.
© 2019 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service
marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated
companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of
their respective owners.
*Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data
average download speeds for Q3 2019.
**According to America's biggest test as announced by Global
Wireless Solutions.
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company
that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to
the things they care about most. Sprint served 54.3 million
connections as of June 30, 2019 and
is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying
innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service
from a national carrier in the United
States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile
USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance
Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk
capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Today,
Sprint's legacy of innovation and service continues with an
increased investment to dramatically improve coverage, reliability,
and speed across its nationwide network and commitment to launching
a 5G mobile network in the U.S. You can learn more and visit Sprint
at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and
www.twitter.com/sprint.
About T-Mobile US, Inc.
As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is
redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services
through leading product and service innovation. Our advanced
nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences
to 83.1 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on
quality and value. Based in Bellevue,
Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its
subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and Metro
by T-Mobile. For more information, please
visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
About Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in
New York City, generated revenues
of $130.9 billion in 2018. The
company operates America's most reliable wireless network and the
nation's premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated
solutions to businesses worldwide. With brands like Yahoo,
TechCrunch and HuffPost, the company's media group helps consumers
stay informed and entertained, communicate and transact, while
creating new ways for advertisers and partners to connect.
Verizon's corporate responsibility prioritizes the environmental,
social and governance issues most relevant to its business and
impact to society.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking
Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial
estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to
risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ
materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results
is contained in each of AT&T's, Sprint's, T-Mobile's and
Verizon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each
company disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements
contained in this news release based on new information or
otherwise.
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SOURCE Sprint