Better cellular networks are necessary for Meta to achieve its metaverse ambitions.

• The metaverse is being marketed as the next major advancement in technology.
• In essence, the idea encompasses a unified digital environment where individuals can engage in work, commerce, and leisure activities alongside their colleagues, friends, and family members.
• To achieve a genuine sense of presence in virtual worlds accessed through smart glasses and VR headsets, significant advancements in connectivity are necessary, as stated by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta.

Facebook has stated that achieving its goal of creating the ultimate "metaverse" is impossible unless there are significant advancements in current telecommunications networks.

The metaverse is a highly anticipated technological advancement that promises to create a unified virtual environment where individuals can engage in work, commerce, and leisure activities alongside their colleagues, friends, and family.

At the Mobile World Congress tech event on Monday, VP of connectivity at Meta, Dan Rabinovitsj, stated that home networks and cellular networks are not yet prepared for the metaverse.

Rabinovitsj stated that Meta is collaborating with colleagues and cellular partners to determine the next step in innovation. He pointed out that the pace of innovation in the telecom industry has been slower compared to other markets. To address this, Rabinovitsj mentioned that Meta has been working to alter the trajectory of innovation in the telecom space.

Some early metaverse projects are underway, and Meta's Oculus virtual reality headsets are seen as a gateway to these experiences. However, these experiences require low latency and higher upload and download speeds.

Rabinovitsj stated that it is crucial to establish a shared language for evaluating network performance. He emphasized that measurement is essential in laying the foundation for the next stage of work.

In a statement on Sunday, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, stated that achieving a genuine sense of presence in virtual worlds accessed through smart glasses and VR headsets will necessitate significant advancements in connectivity.

Mark Zuckerberg stated that the upcoming changes will require a significant shift, unlike any previous ones, and will necessitate the development of entirely new network types to support immersive video streaming on a large scale.

Marc Allera, CEO of the consumer division of U.K. mobile network BT, stated on CNBC Wednesday that he anticipates the metaverse will put a strain on current networks. Despite this, he revealed that the telecoms industry is investing heavily in new technology.

Allera stated that the advancements in smartphone capabilities over the past 10 years are a result of significant investments made by the industry and network operators, with no contribution from content companies on these networks, prior to a meeting with Meta representatives.

He added, "I'll make an effort to comprehend their role in this ecosystem beyond merely inquiring about our actions regarding it."

David Christopher, AT&T's Executive Vice President, stated on CNBC that 5G deployment is occurring at a faster rate than 4G, with significant investment from operators.

Christopher stated that networks will continue to improve their low latency, consistent speeds, and high capacity to support a wide range of use cases across various industries, including immersive and metaverse-like experiences, over the next decade.

The development of the Metaverse will depend on innovation and interoperability across many sectors, with advanced connectivity from 5G as a crucial element.