deplored RCS usage requires a RCS server that your RCS app handshakes with and sends the messages through it. In many countries operators do not offer RCS servers anymore, and you can't easily use RCS servers of other telco operators from other countries. What's left? Google RCS servers.
Either way, unless you live in a country in which the telco you use offers its own RCS servers, you have to back to google if you use RCS.
That's why I don't use RCS at all. That's just my personal choice.
SMS is "good enough" for basic non-privacy requiring daily things, because it is universal. Everybody with a phone has it, all the way down from old 1991 Nokia GSM phones to the latest iPhones and Androids. It is universal. it "just works". Sure no encryption to speak of, vulnerable to MITM attacks, operators store you SMS messages for 6-9 months (depending on jurisdiction), yadda yadda, etc. But for non-critical stuff, it just works.
Then pick your favourite E2EE messenger for everything else, based on your needs.