Verizon, Bell Canada, Vodafone and Matsuko achieved a milestone by successfully hosting the inaugural cross-continental collaborative meeting featuring multiple holographic participants located in Canada, the US and the UK. This remarkable feat was accomplished through the utilization of 5G technology and multi-access edge computing (MEC).
Holographic representations of employees situated in three distinct nations were seamlessly connected: Toronto, Canada, via Bell's 5G network; New York in the US, facilitated by Verizon's 5G network; and London, UK, through Vodafone's 5G network. These holograms were generated using MATSUKO's real-time software, employing only a single camera, and subsequently streamed using spatial computing — an immersive technology that combines elements of virtual and augmented reality.
The success of this call was attributed to the high-speed capabilities of 5G, complemented by the low-latency advantages of MEC technology, which brings computational resources closer to the network's edge. This setup ensured a more dependable and consistent holographic experience, eliminating delays caused by multiple data transfers across various locations and the internet.
"Through its active participation in the 5GFF, Bell continues to support the developer community to access 5G MEC technologies and to ensure their solutions take full advantage of Bell's 5G network in Canada, and to interoperate globally," said Bell's Costa Pantazopoulos, VP Product. "This holographic video meeting demo illustrates how Bell - with partners Verizon and Vodafone - is making it easier for developers to leverage 5G capabilities to innovate and achieve their application goals."
"This demonstration shows how Verizon via the 5GFF continues to drive Open API industry momentum with real-life use cases while also accelerating ease of use for developers," said John Nitti, SVP, Strategy, New Business and Partner Development for Verizon.
Giorgio Migliarina, Vodafone Group Director of Business Products and Services said: "Multi-party holographic calling can make people feel more connected and productive, whether collaborating across classrooms, offices, hospitals or at home. The smooth and natural movement of these holograms will become more prevalent with the growing availability of 5G and edge computing technology."
Verizon, Bell Canada and Vodafone collaborated within the framework of the 5G Future Forum (5GFF), an industry consortium, to orchestrate this groundbreaking demonstration.