The 5G Future Forum (5GFF) and MATSUKO have pioneered a groundbreaking event: the world’s first real-time transatlantic holographic collaborative meeting, uniting multiple individuals as holograms. This technological feat connected holograms from New York via Verizon’s 5G network, Toronto, through Bell Canada’s 5G network, and London, utilizing Vodafone’s 5G network. The innovative demonstration was showcased at the Mobile World Congress Las Vegas this week.
Michael Szakala, DevOps Leader at MATSUKO, enthusiastically remarks, “Edge Discovery Service APIs provide us a simple way to find the optimal Edge servers for our application. We’ve seamlessly connected visionary operators like Bell, Verizon, Vodafone, pioneering a monumental leap in communication through the holographic call. By incorporating the API into the deployment process, it is very simple to ensure interoperability and a steady connection among the operators.” Szakala also underscores the transformative impact of elevated network capabilities, stating, “it amplifies product performance, such as reduced latency, expanded bandwidth, which provides enhanced holographic experiences for our customers.”
John Nitti, SVP, Strategy, New Business, and Partner Development for Verizon, adds, “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.”
Giorgio Migliarina, Vodafone Group Director of Business Products and Services, envisions the potential of multi-party holographic calling, noting that it can foster connectivity and productivity across various domains, from classrooms and offices to hospitals and homes. He underscores that the smooth and lifelike movement of these holograms will become more prevalent with the growing availability of 5G and edge computing technology.
Bell’s Costa Pantazopoulos, VP Product, emphasizes Bell’s commitment to supporting the developer community’s access to 5G MEC technologies and ensuring global interoperability. He describes the holographic video call demo as an illustration of Bell’s innovative efforts in enabling developers to harness 5G capabilities for their application goals, in collaboration with partners Vodafone and Verizon.
Human holograms, as opposed to avatars, offer the unique advantage of conveying a person’s full range of emotions, creating a sense of genuine presence in remote communication. Advances in connectivity driven by 5G and edge computing technology provided by telecom operators enable the smooth and natural movement of holograms, unlocking a multitude of potential use cases.
MATSUKO stands as the creator of the world’s first real-time software-only solution for holographic presence, requiring only a single camera to stream holograms in spatial computing (VR/AR). Their real-time hologram streaming technology bridges the gap in remote communication, making people feel physically together.