Bandwidth's 2026 Messaging Report: 96% RCS Coverage Highlights Shift to AI Conversations
- Massive RCS Opportunity: While RCS device coverage has reached 96%, 59% of surveyed businesses are planning to deploy RCS but have not yet launched, meaning early adopters will set benchmarks for customer engagement and gain a competitive edge.
- AI and Messaging Integration: By 2030, 80% of enterprise applications will be multimodal, seamlessly blending voice, text, and visual content, with RCS and AI-driven interactive messaging emerging as preferred methods to enhance customer experiences.
- SMS as the Backbone: Despite rising RCS adoption, SMS continues to provide cost-efficient, high-volume reach, with brands orchestrating a mix of short codes, toll-free, 10DLC, and RCS, amplified by AI to modernize and personalize customer interactions.
- Trust as a Differentiator: With increasing consumer skepticism towards traditional SMS links, enterprises are shifting towards branded, verified messaging to rebuild engagement and trust, leveraging RCS's secure features like sender verification and trusted icons.
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- Earnings Report Schedule: Bandwidth Inc. will announce its Q4 and full-year financial results for 2025 before market open on February 19, 2026, which is expected to impact investor confidence positively.
- Conference Call Details: The company will host a conference call at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on the same day, providing a live webcast to enhance transparency and attract investor interest.
- Replay Information: A replay of the conference call will be available until February 26, ensuring that investors who cannot attend live can access critical information, thereby improving information dissemination efficiency.
- Company Background: As a leading global cloud communications software company, Bandwidth operates in over 65 countries and serves numerous industry leaders, including AWS and Google, showcasing its significant influence in the cloud communications sector.

- Rating Upgrade: B. Riley Securities initiated coverage on Bandwidth with a 'Buy' rating and a $20 price target, indicating significant upside potential and reflecting market confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Unique Network Advantage: Bandwidth stands out as the only major cloud communications platform provider with its own nationwide all-IP network, which enhances its ability to deliver high-quality network services amid the rapid growth of AI voice applications, strengthening its competitive position.
- Market Volatility: Over the past year, Bandwidth's shares have experienced over 18 moves greater than 5%, indicating that the market is sensitive to news regarding the company, although this has not fundamentally altered perceptions of its business.
- Historical Performance: Despite a 2.5% increase since the beginning of the year, Bandwidth's current share price of $14.58 remains 25.7% below its 52-week high of $19.61, reflecting investor caution and focus on its long-term value.

- Significant Revenue Growth: Relay achieved a remarkable 461% revenue growth over the past three years, securing the #175 position on the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, reflecting strong market demand and competitiveness in digital transformation.
- Customer Base Expansion: Relay now serves over 40 Fortune 500 companies, with 47% of its revenue coming from customers with over $100K ARR, indicating its strong appeal and customer value in the enterprise market.
- Accelerated Technological Innovation: In 2025, Relay launched 32 new software features, enhancing the operational intelligence of its SOAR platform, which has driven rapid market adoption and improved operational management for clients.
- Strengthened Executive Team: The appointment of CMO Matthew Welch and CFO Shiv Hira from high-growth tech environments will solidify Relay's foundation for rapid expansion and potential IPO, positioning the company to stand out in a competitive landscape.

- Massive RCS Opportunity: While RCS device coverage has reached 96%, 59% of surveyed businesses are planning to deploy RCS but have not yet launched, indicating that early adopters will set benchmarks for customer engagement.
- AI + Messaging Integration: By 2030, 80% of enterprise applications will be multimodal, seamlessly blending voice, text, and visual content, with RCS and AI-driven interactive messaging emerging as preferred methods for delivering these experiences.
- SMS as the Backbone: Despite the surge in RCS adoption, SMS continues to provide cost-efficient, high-volume reach, with savvy brands orchestrating a mix of short codes, toll-free, 10DLC, and RCS to modernize and personalize customer experiences.
- Trust as a Differentiator: With rising consumer skepticism towards traditional SMS links, enterprises are shifting towards branded, verified messaging to rebuild engagement and confidence, with RCS enabling secure features like sender verification and trusted icons.

- Massive RCS Opportunity: While RCS device coverage has reached 96%, 59% of surveyed businesses are planning to deploy RCS but have not yet launched, meaning early adopters will set benchmarks for customer engagement and gain a competitive edge.
- AI and Messaging Integration: By 2030, 80% of enterprise applications will be multimodal, seamlessly blending voice, text, and visual content, with RCS and AI-driven interactive messaging emerging as preferred methods to enhance customer experiences.
- SMS as the Backbone: Despite rising RCS adoption, SMS continues to provide cost-efficient, high-volume reach, with brands orchestrating a mix of short codes, toll-free, 10DLC, and RCS, amplified by AI to modernize and personalize customer interactions.
- Trust as a Differentiator: With increasing consumer skepticism towards traditional SMS links, enterprises are shifting towards branded, verified messaging to rebuild engagement and trust, leveraging RCS's secure features like sender verification and trusted icons.
Industry Overview: The Zacks Communication - Infrastructure industry is experiencing growth due to increased demand for digital innovations, fiber densification, and 5G deployment, despite facing challenges like high capital expenditures and supply chain disruptions.
Key Players: Companies such as CommScope, IHS Holding, and Bandwidth are well-positioned to benefit from the demand for scalable infrastructure, with each showing significant stock performance and positive earnings outlooks.
Market Performance: The Communication - Infrastructure industry has outperformed both the S&P 500 and the broader Computer and Technology sector over the past year, with a notable 113.9% increase compared to the S&P 500's 16.3% growth.
Future Prospects: The industry is focusing on network convergence and cloud transition, while also addressing challenges like chip shortages and geopolitical tensions, indicating a complex but promising future for communication infrastructure investments.






