By Anne Morris

Telefonica puts network APIs through their paces

Telefonica showcased the potential of network API use at MWC24 with a demonstration of sporting prowess courtesy of virtual reality (VR) glasses and the Copa del Rey ACB basketball tournament on the Movistar Plus+ TV service.

In collaboration with VR specialist YBVR, and thanks to AWS Edge technology, Telefonica illustrated the capabilities of the GSMA-led Open Gateway’s QoD WiFi, QoD Mobile, Device Location and Carrier Billing APIs through an immersive sporting experience on its stand.

Visitors to the operator’s stand are invited to don VR glasses and enter the virtual world of the Movistar Immersive Experience to watch a basketball game filmed at the Jose Marie Martin Carpena Sports Pavilion in Malaga.

The QoD WiFi API is designed to ensure connectivity without interruptions, while QoD Mobile allows users to control the quality of the network, Device Location confirms that the user is in the sports venue, and Carrier Billing allows payment to be made via the mobile operator’s bill.

Touchy-feely

Targeting gaming, Telefónica is also presenting a new concept called Edge Haptic Arena for immersive experiences.

According to the operator it “allows gamers to compete in a futuristic, high-definition virtual world where they engage in a highly dynamic and immersive one-on-one battle”.

The pilot is in collaboration with Spanish startup Extendra, which specialises in the creation of VR applications in SaaS mode.

The demonstration combines technologies including immersive extended reality, haptic technology, fibre-optic networks, rendering or creation of images in Nvidia’s cloud, edge computing, and the generation of a 3D environment using the Unreal 5 graphics engine.