(Yicai Global) April 8 -- China's three major phone operators are proposing to embrace the era of fifth-generation wireless networks by replacing SMSs with Rich Communication Services messages that can contain photos, audio, and videos. 

China Mobile, China Telecommunications, and China United Network Communications Group suggested the protocol upgrade in today's press conference attended by representatives from 11 companies including Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi, Vivo Communication Technology, Oppo Mobile Telecommunications, ZTE, and Samsung Electronics.

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association, a London-headquartered industry alliance, has been promoting RCS to become one of the mandatory functions of 5G devices. 

SMSs are becoming marginalized as the cost of data has declined amid a rise in the use of social media applications, an industry insider told Yicai Global. 

Still, social apps such as WeChat don't meet all corporations' interactive demands nor drive efficient communication between weak links, Huaxi Securities wrote in a research report. This is why RCS messages could fill the gap, it added. 

Editor: Emmi Laine