The PaaS for XR applications is being developed as a common platform on multi-access edge computing (MEC) provided by each of the aforementioned telecoms operators.
Through this PoC, it is expected to accelerate development of a global XR application running on MEC and the PoC is due to launch June 2021 in line with the GSMA Telco Edge Cloud (TEC) initiative.
“We’re excited to be working with Deutsche Telekom, MobiledgeX, Sturfee, and Mawari to make this functional proof of concept (PoC) a reality,” said Kei Morita, member of the board, managing executive officer, personal business sector, KDDI Corporation.
"The PoC makes full use of MEC, which enhances ultra-low latency features of 5G, and is expected to realize a whole new platform distributing innovative XR services and experiences, created by KDDI's creative team: au Vision Studio, across the world. KDDI will keep leading to provide customers with advanced MEC toward the 5G SA era.”
The project comes as MEC platforms, intended to support AR / VR, automatic driving, robotics, as well as other applications that leverage the low latency of 5G, require closer proximity to supporting (Application Programming Interface) APIs and (software development kit) SDKs in their backend code, to deliver the quality of experience and scale that is required.
However, for developers who want to release their applications globally, using MEC leads to longer lead times and higher operating costs, because MEC is delivered at the edge provided by each telecom operator, meaning you have to individually deploy, test, and operate middleware such as APIs.
“For a faster return on their development effort, the XR developer community require a fast and easy way to deploy their applications to users in markets worldwide,” says Dominik Schnieders, head of edge computing / cloud XR at Deutsche Telekom.
“We are very excited to collaborate with KDDI and MobiledgeX to demonstrate a consistent cross-operator platform that will push XR forward and result in more immersive, exciting, and entertaining edge-enabled services for our customers.”
As a result, through this PoC KDDI and Deutsche Telekom will collaborate with Mawari, MobiledgeX, and Sturfee to make a Visual Positioning Service (VPS) - provided by KDDI's development partner Sturfee, which is compatible with the MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud platform - and deploy it as a PaaS to KDDI and Deutsche Telekom's MEC network.
In addition, the SDK provided by PaaS will be embedded into the AR app on a smartphone, and a 3D virtual human application called "coh" will be distributed from KDDI and Deutsche Telekom MEC to the smartphone XR app.
