Telefónica, Ericsson, and MATSUKO Integrate Holographic Calls

Integrating holographic calls directly into dialer apps would allow users to access and utilize this advanced communication technology seamlessly without the need for additional applications. Telefónica, Ericsson, and MATSUKO have successfully completed one of the most complex demonstrations of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Data Channel technology to date. This Proof-of-Concept (PoC) showcases the potential of IMS Data Channel to revolutionize future 5G and 6G voice services with innovative applications, including holographic communication.

IMS Data Channel enhances existing IMS voice networks, allowing mobile network operators to deliver improved services. This technology leverages the inherent strengths of telephony networks, such as quality-of-service, reliability, seamless mobility, and security, while introducing new capabilities for interactive and immersive communication. Since 2021, Telefonica has been at the forefront of IMS Data Channel innovation, executing various PoCs with partners including Ericsson and MATSUKO. The goal has been to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of integrating this technology into commercial services, particularly on 5G smartphones.

The recent PoC focuses on developing and testing holographic communication services, as part of the 6G-XR European project, which aims to bring holographic communication closer to reality. The companies successfully demonstrated holographic calls using IMS Data Channel-compliant devices from the Samsung Galaxy S series, where a caller's face and torso can be captured and transmitted as a real-time hologram to the receiver. The PoC demonstrated the transmission of a one-way hologram (from presenter to viewer) with two-way audio between them, using IMS infrastructure. The holographic service was seamlessly integrated into native smartphone dialers, eliminating the need for additional applications. Additionally, MATSUKO’s advanced holographic service processed and reconstructed the hologram data in the cloud, ensuring high-quality performance.

The PoC also faced some challenges. Current 3GPP specifications lack standards for IMS Data Channel interfaces with third-party servers, which complicates broader implementation. Bandwidth and payload limitations for higher-resolution holograms were identified, emphasizing the need for improvements in data segmentation and reassembly for better performance. Also, achieving perfect synchronization between audio and holographic video remains a technical challenge.

Looking ahead, the companies are committed to enhancing the user experience and the quality of holographic services. They plan to focus on improving the user interface with features like RGB background integration, 3D controls, and better hologram manipulation. Additionally, they aim to further improve the overall quality of the holograms and explore the implementation of two-way calls. The teams are also working towards defining the necessary standards and interfaces to support the widespread adoption of IMS Data Channel technology, ensuring it can be effectively used in future applications.