Telstra Finally Gets RCS! But There’s a Catch… | Dirt Report

Telstra’s MessageBank notification fault

Telstra said a MessageBank fault on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, caused delayed missed-call and voicemail notifications to arrive together. As a result, a new alert could have related to an older missed call rather than a recent attempt to contact the customer.

Telstra said Triple Zero, normal voice calls and mobile data were not affected by this particular fault. It also denied that the issue was caused by a hack. Customers should check voicemail normally and use official Telstra support if the problem continues. Unexpected links requesting passwords, payments or login codes should not be trusted.

What Telstra’s RCS rollout means

Telstra is preparing to introduce carrier-supported Rich Communication Services, or RCS, through the phone’s standard messaging app. RCS uses mobile data or Wi-Fi and can support higher-quality photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts and improved group chats.

Telstra’s support page gives 16 November 2026 as the rollout start date. This is a starting date rather than a guarantee that every compatible phone will have every feature immediately. Android and iPhone devices need to be updated to their latest software. Some iPhone users may need access through a beta programme to receive support earlier.

Earlier reporting indicated that Android support would begin in November, with iPhone support following through an iOS release in December. However, Telstra’s current support page does not repeat that specific iPhone timetable, so the December timing should be treated as earlier guidance rather than a current guarantee. It also depends on Apple’s release process.

RCS compatibility, data and encryption

Both people in a conversation need compatible RCS support to use the enhanced features. If support is unavailable, messages can fall back to ordinary text or picture messaging. On iPhone, RCS messages remain green rather than changing the existing colour convention.

Telstra says there are no additional RCS charges on eligible services, but the messages use data. Overseas roaming charges can still apply. RCS availability should not be confused with encryption in every conversation, so users should check for an encryption indicator where supported. Delivery and read indicators also do not guarantee that someone is available to respond, particularly when a message is urgent.

NBN upload headroom improves

Leaptel said the NBN began rolling out extra upload headroom on fixed-line services from 18 October 2026. Eligible full fibre and HFC services can receive up to 15% additional capacity. This may help uploads reach closer to the speed advertised for the existing plan, including for cloud backups, large files and households handling video calls.

The change is not a guaranteed 15% increase in measured speed and does not move customers to a different plan. It also cannot turn a copper connection into full fibre or compensate for poor Wi-Fi. For testing, pause other uploads and use Ethernet if possible. Restarting the modem may help the change appear, but a factory reset is not required. If there is no change, customers can ask their provider to check whether upload limits apply to the service or router before changing plans.