Google is all set to offer RCS or Rich Communication Services in the U.S. The new service is expected to replace traditional text messaging and bring new features to the table. Google has designed the standard while carriers can handle the deployment. Google will deploy RCS in the U.S from today.

RCS adds new features like WiFi connectivity, support large file transfers, read receipts and much more. Once RCS rolls out of your phone you should be able to see a banner announcing the same. In all likelihood, the rollout might take a couple of weeks to complete. Meanwhile, Google is aiming for broad availability by the end of this year.

Chat features are already available for some of you in Messages, and today we’re starting to broadly roll them out in the U.S. If you already have Messages, you’ll also be prompted to enable chat features in the coming weeks. If you don’t have Messages, you can download it on the Play Store. We expect this service to be broadly available in the U.S. by the end of the year.

At the beginning of the year, Google had added an RCS chat feature for anyone in the UK, France, and Mexico. They are aiming to make the feature available for everyone on Messages globally. In order to do so, Google is working with carriers and device makers. Rich Communication Service has had a sluggish start. The protocol was first formed by a group of promoters in 2007 and came under the purview of GSM in 2008. However, several factors including carrier participation held back RCS.