The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be one of the first global events to be able to leverage 6G technology, paving the way for picture-quality holographic broadcasting and multisensory experiences.
InterDigital Video Solutions Group Senior Director Valerie Allie said 6G would accelerate significant XR advancements.
Speaking to Media, Entertainment & Technology industry body IBC, Ms Allie said now was the time for sporting organisations to think about how to offer immersivity to fans and viewers.
IBC said 6G would deliver between 10 to 100 times faster speeds than 5G with data rates as high as one terabit per second, latency measured in microseconds and an ability to integrate digital and physical versions of the world.
It said 6G specification ratification was expected by 2028, with the mobile industry standards body, ETSI, suggesting a commercial 6G network launch in 2030.
“This means the 2032 Brisbane Olympics could be the first major event to enjoy the benefits of the next-generation network,” the group said.
Ms Allie told the IBC this next generation of telecoms infrastructure had the potential to profoundly transform how fans engaged with topflight sporting events.
“It may even usher in a new era of immersive content that elevates the live match excitement of audiences to a different level.”
She said VR headsets could deliver an immersive experience and give fans the perception that they were actually in the stadium, no matter where they were in the world.
“Meanwhile, AR enhances the real-world experience by overlaying digital information onto the physical world.
“What we call ‘immersive video’ is video where the user’s point of view can be adapted with sensation of depths and parallax,” Ms Allie said.
“Doing that relies on capturing a huge amount of information to generate 3D video in real time and then to have some viable transmission at scale that could be deployed on wireless networks.”
Digital Catapult Director of Immersive Technology Jessica Driscoll told IBC their organisation was pushing ahead with real-time holographic broadcasting.
Ms Driscoll said with current technology you could see people moving (virtually) in the metaverse, but you couldn’t really discern individual gestures.
“There’s a lag in the environment. It’s not seamless. But a completely low latency 6G environment would enable real-time interactions.
“When there’s no noticeable latency everyone can experience something at the same time. You could have meaningful interactions and very high-quality volumetric video and sound that is also personalised. These are things we have barely begun to explore.”
Read the full IBC feature, 6G: media should plan for the internet-of-senses.
