The launch of e& universe is in partnership with HTC, the manufacturer of VR and mobile devices.
E&, formerly known as Etisalat Group, is set to enter the next digital universe with the soft launch of its virtual world e& universe at Gitex Global 2022.
E& Group will allow for the first time to visit its booth virtually at Gitex 2022.
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO, e& shares his views on why telcos must adopt the metaverse in enhancing customer experience and boosting the digitalisation journeys of enterprises.
He said: “Metaverse technology may be in the early incubation stages, given that it needs high-bandwidth and low-latency communications to work at scale. Still, telcos must consider harnessing its potential for the betterment of lives, whether it is a virtual playground or shopping destination, or even using it as a training ground for smarter, more efficient AI and industrial manufacturing processes. To get it to work at the grand scale we all envision will require robust connectivity solutions. This is where 5G becomes the fulcrum, given that mobile networks may not be able to handle the metaverse network demands.
“According to a report by Ericsson, 5G is a critical enabler for the metaverse and its entire ecosystem as it has a global reach, including roaming capabilities. For the cloud and edge-cloud (MEC) capabilities of the metaverse, 5G also offers low latency, offload processing and enhanced render level of detail (LOD).To harness the power of the metaverse, telcos must expand beyond their traditional capabilities and more towards embracing a growth mindset where they are open to exploring innovative ideas. In fact, telcos can play a more prominent role in the metaverse value chain by leveraging emerging technologies such as 5G, edge cloud, analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Telcos will also be required to partner with technology giants, internet tech companies, specialist cloud providers, device manufactures, technology platform providers as well as online game developers so that they can create a partner ecosystem for developing a solid metaverse ecosystem. In that way, telcos will become the orchestrators of the metaverse ecosystems by identifying collaborative opportunities with involved parties.”
Dowidar concluded: “Based on the limitless possibilities that are available in metaverse adoption and in line with our commitment to digitally empower societies, we are taking a significant step forward into the metaverse this GITEX Global by announcing the launch of e& universe, hosted virtually in Arcadia Planitia on Mars.
“Alongside, we have had two other major showcases: the Metaverse Service and etisalat by e&s business centre. The Metaverse Service is a metaverse platform designed to maximise user experience through multiple virtual spaces and avatars. This was a result of the collaboration with SK Telecom, the largest mobile operator in Korea, to explore media and entertainment. Through our third metaverse showcase, etisalat by e&s business centre showcase is in collaboration with Huawei, where e& is demonstrating the future of retail using a 3D retail experience in an innovative way.”
