How will 5G technology power users’ experience in the metaverse?

• Higher bandwidth and lower latency play a crucial role to any concept of the metaverse
• 5G’s fast and responsive connectivity enables educational technologies to bring curricula to life

What is the word that everyone seems to be talking about these days? Metaverse. Yes, the metaverse is about to—or has already begun to—take the globe by storm. Just consider what gaming developers have been able to produce, like Fortnite or Pokémon Go. These kinds of advancements are actually providing a sneak peek of what the future user experience in the metaverse will be like.

However, none of these can advance without the development of network connectivity, which is the crucial element keeping everyone sane throughout the difficult COVID-19 epidemic times. What people need to realize is that network connectivity, through higher bandwidth and lower latency, actually plays a fundamental part to any concept of the metaverse.

Here’s how.

The metaverse requires a lot of computational power, and technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) rely heavily on specialized hardware, powerful computers, and user-stored data. Fast streaming technology and low latency will be required to reach the more complex level of a completely immersive metaverse experience and make it available to more people than a few.

That’s where 5G technology, with average download speeds in the hundreds of megabits per second range and average latency in single-digit milliseconds, should be able to provide this bandwidth.

However, certain countries around the world are still lagging behind in materializing this technology. Therefore, it’s critical that bandwidth is widely available and reasonably priced to better help underserved and under connected communities.

User experience is everything in the metaverse. Interacting with other users in the metaverse isn’t all that fantastic if there is a tiny delay in response. That’s where low latency comes in to play.

Low latency and reliable communication let devices use edge rendering and streaming to offload more processing to the edge. In networks that require a real-time reaction, having access to edge computation with high throughputs and low latency will become more and more crucial.

M1 giving a true 5G experience for the metaverse

Having said that, one of Singapore’s top Mobile Network Operators (MNO), M1 Limited (M1), is well-versed on the topic of 5G. With their ultra-low latency network and higher bandwidth for more devices without network slowdowns, M1 is renowned for offering its true 5G, providing new meaning to truly lag-free gaming.

The company recently announced that it has a Memorandum of Understanding in place with Gardens by the Bay and Electronic Sports Pte Ltd (ESPL) to deliver blazing-fast 5G connection and immersive metaverse experiences in Gardens by the Bay’s indoor venues.

The Gardens and its Digital Twin, an ESPL-developed metaverse recreation of the Gardens, will have new opportunities for hosting phygital events thanks to M1’s enhanced connectivity and cloud infrastructure.

M1 and ESPL will collaborate with Gardens by the Bay to provide metaverse experiences that enhance their physical offerings. With a mobile device that supports 5G, audiences may enter the metaverse and watch their favourite musicians play in an immersive, real-time setting. 5G’s fast and responsive connectivity also enables educational technologies to enliven curricula and engage students’ imaginations through gamification and extended reality.

Offering metaverse experiences, according to Willis Sim, Chief Corporate Sales and Solutions Officer at M1, is a thrilling development in the company’s True 5G deployment roadmap. M1 is thrilled to put out 5G within Gardens by the Bay and power its partner ESPL’s digital recreation since they are continually raising the standard with their 5G capabilities.

“The ability to give audiences a live and immersive experience both physically and virtually has immense potential to deliver rich content on-the-go. We are excited to unlock new metaverse opportunities for the entertainment, MICE and tourism industries and help Gardens by the Bay become the garden of the future,” said Sim.

With the improved 5G connectivity, Lee Kok Fatt, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gardens by the Bay, added that they look forward to working with M1 and ESPL to develop even more interactive and immersive experiences in Gardens by the Bay. This will give event organizers a phygital option to extend their reach beyond the actual boundaries of the venues here and engage people from all over the world.

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