With its 5G network, Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, is ready to lead the metaverse in India. To allow use cases, the telecom giant will rely on relationships with content producers and over-the-top (OTT) companies.
“5G will be enabling the metaverse, which requires a lot of data. Metaverse will need much higher speeds and needs to be closer to the edge content. Telcos will play a major role,” Randeep Sekhon, chief technology officer at Bharti Airtel, told Economic Times.
He believes that without “deeper” ties with telecom carriers, the metaverse as a concept will fail.
Airtel demonstrated its high-speed 5G network at its Network Experience Centre in Manesar, near Gurugram, on March 25. During the live demo, a meta-avatar of renowned cricketer Kapil Dev was exhibited, as well as some amazing moments from the 1983 World Cup match. At the event, Kapil Dev was also present.