Ericsson and Vodafone carry out the first 3D holographic communication over 5G networks

3D holographic communication requires approximately four times more data than continuous streaming 4K video, so only 5G networks will allow these volumetric visualizations.

Operators are beginning to explore the limits of ultra-high bandwidth and extremely low latency that provide the talk about 5G. The volumetric visualization, also known as holograms in 3D, is an example of an application that can only be transported over a 5G mobile network.

With potential applications for medical imaging, video conferencing, and gaming, 3D holographic communication requires approximately four times more data than 4K video in continuous flow. This means that only 5G provides sufficient speed and latency to support this type of applications on a mobile network.

In a recent demonstration, Ericsson y Vodafone Germany teamed up to conduct a live holographic interview combining 5G and connected transportation.

During an interview with German newspaper Bild, Vodafone Germany CEO Hannes Ametsreiter appeared as a hologram. In real life, Ametsreiter was in the company's laboratory in Düsseldorf, about 70 km away. The demonstration used Vodafone's 5G trial license in the 3.5 GHz spectrum and was supported by Ericsson's 5G radio and Cloud Core solutions.

Vodafone Ireland and Ericsson performed a similar demonstration during the launch of the service provider's first live 5G network site. As part of the launch, the CEO of Vodafone Ireland, Anne O'Leary, participated in Ireland's first international holographic call. Ericsson again supplied the 5G solution to power the call.

Another European operator, Cosmote in Greece, took the concept a step further and demonstrated a holographic music concert in which band members in different physical locations were “holoported” on stage and were able to play together, in real time, as a single band.

The demonstration took place during InfoCom World Conference, in Athens, Greece, and special cameras capable of capturing in-depth information were used to create a 3D representation of a live person. The latency required for this type of application is approximately one tenth of current 4G technology.

In Greece, Ericsson supplied the 5G test system running on millimeter wave spectrum capable of up to 7 Gbps.