Nokia, in association with UAE-based telecommunications service provider du, demonstrated 360 degree virtual reality (VR) video streaming for the first time in the Middle East.
The demo at GITEX 2016 in Dubai used 5G-ready Nokia AirScale Radio Access on the 4.5 GHz frequency. In the demonstration, 3D 360 VR content created with the Nokia OZO VR camera was streamed to head-mounted displays using Nokia 5G-ready network, delivering a fully immersive VR experience for attendees.
This demonstration is yet another milestone for du on its path to 5G technology and taking 5G beyond speed and connectivity by demonstrating real 5G use cases.
Using a large bandwidth of 400 MHz and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, which utilizes multiple antennas to transmit and receive, Nokia AirScale can offer enhanced capacity and speeds. This enables du to offer a superior broadband experience to end users.
Nokia AirScale technology helps service providers deliver ultra-low latency and massive capacity, which is essential to support real-time IoT, VR, augmented reality and new applications such as remote surgery and autonomous cars.
Nokia AirScale allows service providers to run multiple technologies simultaneously on the same platform, supporting both traditional and flexible cloud-base architectures. Not only does it deliver extreme broadband speeds, but it also supports Mobile Edge Computing, which uses local content to deliver enhanced services.
Saleem AlBlooshi, executive vice president – Network Development and Operations, du, said, “Smart cities of tomorrow would require high-speed and low latency connectivity to connect Internet of Things applications. The demonstration of 3D 360 VR video streaming over 5G-ready system provides a glimpse into the future of one such application.”
Bernard Najm, vice president and head of the Middle East Market Unit, Nokia, said, “Nokia AirScale allows operators like du to make the required transformations for future bandwidth-intensive applications, while at the same time utilizing their existing radio network investment. We are committed to helping du prepare for the programmable world of the future.”
