Ericsson: 5G Tech a Gateway to the Metaverse

Ericsson, the Swedish telecom hardware and services company, has linked the use of new technologies, such as 5G, with the use of metaverse platforms. According to a study, users that have 5G data services have been spending more time in the metaverse and extended reality apps, and believe these will migrate to headsets in the next two years.

A recent study issued by Ericsson, the Swedish telecom giant, deals with the effects powerful data transmission tech — like 5G — have on the adoption of metaverse and extended reality tech. The study, which includes Ericsson’s tracking data since 2019, surveyed 49,000 consumers in 37 countries and is said to be representative of the opinions of 1.7 billion users worldwide.

Data from the study revealed that users of 5G are more interested in immersive technologies than their 4G counterparts. 5G users are already spending one more hour per week on metaverse-related platforms and services as compared to 4G users. Also according to the report, 5G tech is expected to reach 510 million consumers this year, so this metaverse adoption is also expected to grow accordingly.

At a global level, six out of ten 5G adopters believe that this technology is “essential” for the metaverse to reach its full realization. Carriers can benefit from the bundling of their own metaverse applications with 5G plans, according to the study. Telefonica, a Spanish carrier, and NTT Docomo, a Japanese carrier, are already taking steps to be able to offer metaverse experiences to their users in the future.

However, users of 5G data believe one thing according to the study: The metaverse will surely migrate to other, more immersive platforms in the future. The survey found that half of the 5G customers that are already using metaverse and extended reality apps believe these services will migrate to XR (extended reality) headsets in the next two years.

The results of the survey were surprising for the company. About this, Jasmeet Singh Sethi, head of Ericsson consumerlab, stated:

It is interesting to note that 5G is emerging as an important enabler for early adopters to embrace metaverse-related services, such as socializing, playing, and buying digital items in interactive 3D virtual gaming platforms. The amount of time spent on augmented reality apps by 5G users has also doubled over the past two years.

What do you think about the relationship between 5G tech and the usage of metaverse platforms? Tell us in the comments section below.