Virtual Reality and the 5G Bottleneck

Why Next-Gen Wireless Standards are Essential for Mobile VR

Virtual reality (VR) was all the rage at this year’s Mobile World Congress. It took a few years but the big players in the telecom industry are finally beginning to take notice of this transformational new tech. From the wide array of new headsets to Mark Zuckerberg’s grand vision for “social VR,” it’s becoming clear to everyone that virtual reality is growing rapidly and will change the way we work, live, and play.

Plus we got this awesome photo.

The other hot topic at Mobile World Conference was 5G, the yet undefined wireless standard that will power future generations of smartphones. Everyone from Nokia to Samsung was competing to prove their phones would be the first to be 5G ready and all the major networks showcased the latest tech to get us there. Even Zuckerberg threw his hat into the ring, launching the Telecom Infra Project, an initiative designed to bring telecom partners and infrastructure providers together to lay the groundwork for next-generation wireless networks.

These two technologies are inherently intertwined and Zuckerberg knows it. In launching the Telecom Infra Project, Zuckerberg described virtual reality as one of the “killer apps” for 5G networks. He explained that sharing virtual experiences on a global scale requires “a pretty meaningful upgrade” to current mobile networks. Simply put, our current 4G network cannot handle the massive amount of data that the mass adoption of virtual reality requires.

In order for innovative VR applications to become commonplace and reach their potential, lightning fast, high capacity networks are essential. Because of that, it’s no surprise that VR and next-generation wireless networks — better known as 5G networks — are being talked about together both in the telecom industry and on Capitol Hill. If we want to bring about a globally connected virtual world, we need to accelerate and facilitate the creation of 5G networks.

The Future of 5G

There’s a lot of excitement around 5G, but the truth is 5G is still more of a concept than a defined standard. Still, the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN), an association of all the major mobile telecom companies, has set the requirements for a network to be considered 5G. It will have to support hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections, provide data rates in the tens of megabits per second to thousands of users and one gigabit per second for smaller groups of workers, have significantly reduced latency, expand coverage, and improve spectral and signalling efficiency. Right now these are simply broad goals, but over the next few years the NGMN will work to turn those goals into standards the whole industry can target.

In the meantime, the major telecom companies are already laying the groundwork for 5G. The networks need to be built and multiple wireless companies are competing for first place. Compared to the current 4G networks, the buildout for 5G will need to be far denser. That’s essential for the increased speeds and lower latency promised by 5G. Mobile telecom networks are also working on a swath of new technologies from millimeter wave tech to MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) networks that will allow us to improve our current network.

“Did someone say millimeter wave?” Image courtesy of Sharon Bewick.

Another critical component will be spectrum — the invisible airwaves that power everything from smartphones to smartwatches to smart-homes. More is needed to support the significant increase of mobile data that not only comes from VR, but from the broader Internet of Things. In 2010, President Obama directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to work together to free up 500 megahertz of spectrum currently used by government agencies. So far, the government has failed to reach half that amount. If we ever want 5G to be more than a buzzword, mobile networks will need the spectrum necessary to power it.

VR is a Resource Hog

Building out a 5G network is going to be absolutely essential for widespread adoption of virtual reality. Many analysts expect that mobile VR, or virtual reality headsets not connected to a computer, will drive user adoption over the next few years. But for mobile VR to take off, we need a mobile network that can handle the massive increase in data.

A little back of the envelope math (thanks to AR/VR developer Chris Wren) based on the headset resolution and framerate of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive indicates that livestreaming a 360 video VR experience would require a bitrate of 81 megabits per second. That’s a lot of data. Right now, peak download speeds on 4G approach only 50 megabits per second. Our current mobile networks are simply not designed to handle thousands of users using VR headsets.

This is ten times more annoying when it’s only inches from your face.

5G is also fundamental for robust social VR experiences. Social VR essentially uses virtual reality as a communication medium, allowing users to talk to each other in a virtual space. Low latency is crucial to making Social VR work as it is incredibly difficult to maintain a conversation if there is a multi-second delay between responses. 5G networks should help us talk as naturally in the virtual world as we do in the real one.

5G and DC

Policymakers in DC can help bring 5G to life by freeing up government-held spectrum for commercial use, removing barriers that’ll ease build-out, and encouraging the technological innovation necessary to take our existing networks to the next level. The Federal government needs to actively work with wireless carriers to ensure that they can manage the massive increase in data that will come with VR. By ensuring that mobile networks have access to the necessary resources to build out 5G networks, they’ll help to usher in the future of VR.

The good thing is that progress is already being made on Capitol Hill. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently approved the Mobile Now Act. Among other things, the Mobile Now Act gives President Obama’s 2010 executive order statutory authority, speeds up the placement of wireless structures on federal land, mandates research into millimeter wave technology, and encourages interdepartmental collaboration to facilitate broadband deployment. This is a great first step and if passed will help bring about widespread 5G networks and hopefully the growth of mobile VR.

Help us Congress, you’re our only hope.

The Internet allowed us to learn anything — VR will let us experience everything. These experiences will enrich what we learn from the web to increase its impact and resonance. VR will take Snapchats and Instagrams and bring them to life in front of us, allowing us to experience what our friends experience with them. Think about the potential to experience lift-off from the control room at Cape Canaveral. With the seamless delivery of VR experiences being made possible by smart policies, we are not far from virtual simulations becoming our own reality.