{"id":15764,"date":"2018-08-15T11:18:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-15T10:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/futurenetworks\/?post_type=digest&p=15764"},"modified":"2019-09-10T19:32:37","modified_gmt":"2019-09-10T18:32:37","slug":"operators-to-play-key-role-in-delivery-of-next-generation-virtual-reality-through-5g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/digest\/operators-to-play-key-role-in-delivery-of-next-generation-virtual-reality-through-5g\/","title":{"rendered":"Operators to Play Key Role in Delivery of Next Generation Virtual Reality through 5G"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among the most hotly anticipated developments of the digital age has been virtual reality, and its close relative augmented reality \u2013 known collectively as AR\/VR.\u00a0 These transformative technologies are set to revolutionise the ways in which consumers interact with enterprise, as well as the entertainment uses for which they are perhaps better known. The ability to offer users an interactive digital world which wholly envelops them is easier said than done from a technical point of view, however.\u00a0 AR\/VR currently requires vast amounts of storage, power consumption and processing power from the devices on which it runs; this makes those devices expensive and limits their portability, raising doubts over the degree to which AR\/VR can at present be brought to the mass market.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, operators may soon be in a position to change this for the better.\u00a0 As computing and data increasingly migrate to Cloud, AR\/VR can follow \u2013 with graphic rendering and storage processed remotely \u2013 thereby taking much of the technical strain away from the end-user\u2019s device, as it need only receive preformulated video streams.\u00a0 This is known as a \u2018thin client\u2019 model \u2013 the receiving device can now be light and far less costly, requiring much lower processing power and energy consumption. The prospects for mass market consumption, therefore, become much brighter, to the benefit of all concerned.<\/p>\n

There remains however one last challenge to be resolved \u2013 connectivity.\u00a0 Very wide data bandwidths are required, as are superfast data connections.\u00a0 In order for AR\/VR to deliver a good user experience, these video streams must be ultra-high resolution \u2013 4k or 8k \u2013 and interactions between end users and servers must be subject to very low latency. This is where 5G comes in.\u00a0 5G is more than equal to the task of providing these capabilities through Edge Computing \u2013 and, once that platform is established, its use can then be extended to other low latency services such IoT as proximity video.<\/p>\n

For this reason players from across the ecosystem gathered during Mobile World Congress Shanghai last month to discuss 5G\u2019s role in the delivery of AR\/VR and how operators can help.\u00a0 Momentum is now growing behind the process as it becomes clear that for 5G\u2019s power will need to be harnessed to achieve the potential in gaming, 360 streaming, and Industry 4.0<\/a>. Huawei\u2019s President of Product and Solution David Wang advised that, given the urgency to demonstrate how operators can make good on their investments in 5G, work should proceed immediately to achieve clarity on commercialisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCloud AR\/VR, as its name suggests, uses Cloud-based GPU rendering instead of a local PC,\u201d Mr Wang told delegates in Shanghai. \u201cThe transformation in architecture helps to construct a new ecosystem and business model: thin clients, broad pipes, and Cloud apps. In future, users will pay less for computing capabilities on local terminals, and instead purchase Cloud resources and services, network bandwidth, and guaranteed low latency from operators and providers based on \u2018pay as you use\u2019. The business model applies not only to Cloud AR\/VR but also \u2018Cloud X\u2019 scenarios, which include Cloud PC and Cloud gaming. It will generate new revenue sources for operators, benefiting the entire industry.\u201d\u00a0 Mr Wang went on to explain how the technical demands of Cloud AR\/VR make it a natural beneficiary of 5G\u2019s arrival:\u00a0 \u201cCloud AR\/VR calls for both a 100mbps data rate to support 2K HD videos, and 5-8 ms to avoid dizziness. Such demands are perfectly in line with the features of eMBB services during initial 5G deployment; Huawei, therefore, believes that Cloud AR\/VR will arise as the most typical 5G eMBB use case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Content partners Noitom \u2013 whose expertise in AR\/VR extends from digital marketing, automotive, education and entertainment \u2013 were clear that 5G is the only mechanism by which \u201cto replicate human sensory perception \u2013 otherwise the user just feels uncomfortable.\u201d Noitom went on to explain that 5G has the technological heft to reduce cost, simplify deployment, reduce training, and improve the end user experience overall.<\/p>\n

The course has not yet been charted, however. Work is still needed to achieve clarity on how operators can best monetise this opportunity \u2013 for instance key use cases, how the value chain will operate, and potential business models. There in now a project group set up for this purpose, which will report back in November of this year. The GSMA will release a white paper next year on behalf of the mobile industry to outline the options available to operators as they consider how to contribute. Senior Director at the GSMA\u2019s future networks programme Henry Calvert urged industry delegates in Shanghai to collaborate to make the most of this next stage in the process: \u201c5G can facilitate an explosion in user experiences \u2013 but we need a common approach to provide scale and drive value.\u201d We eagerly await the economic blueprint for the marriage of these transformative technologies, and are encouraged by the collaborative approach shown in these early stages.<\/p>\n

If you are interested in learning more about Cloud AR\/VR, please register your interested in attending the Cloud AR\/VR Roundtable which will take place during Mobile World Congress Americas 2018 on 13 September. Click here<\/a> to find out more and to register your place.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among the most hotly anticipated developments of the digital age has been virtual reality, and its close relative augmented reality \u2013 known collectively as AR\/VR.\u00a0 These transformative technologies are set to revolutionise the ways in which consumers interact with enterprise, as well as the entertainment uses for which they are perhaps better known. 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