Is Connectivity XR's Unsung Hero?

Modern AR and VR experiences are no longer just the forte of the gaming industry. Companies use these technologies to enhance everything from business operations to the customer journey. Before investing in these technologies, firms must ensure they have the connectivity capability to deliver these services.

Today’s wireless services have improved latency issues. However, they can still be a challenge in AR and VR applications. By strategically integrating and deploying the right solutions, companies can provide a reliable immersive performance for all their applications. How can AR and VR enhance a business?

The Benefits of Seamless AR and VR Experiences

VR and AR can create value for a business in many different departments, including human resources, product development, and marketing. Examples include:

A company can deploy AR or VR for safe, hands-on training. Consider the implications for engineers and operations managers as well as occupations like surgeons.
Using VR and AR for product development streamlines design and collaboration processes. They allow for risk-free and cost-effective testing.
Marketing teams can use AR to provide customers with an interactive experience. For example, a virtual tour guide helps travelers find detailed information or local hot spots.
AR can revolutionize customer experiences, especially in applications like healthcare or fitness. It can guide customers through proper body movement for therapy or training by detecting body motion and health metrics.

AR and VR applications deliver a better experience for employees, students, and customers when connectivity is not a problem.

Connectivity Challenges for AR and VR Services

Effective AR and VR applications require seamless connectivity. Slow or unreliable connectivity can cost a business money. Some of the major hurdles this problem can pose include:

Reducing productivity: Dropped connectivity can disrupt training, product development, and other integrations, frustrating team members.
Revenue loss: It may take time and money to revert to the former ways of doing things, such as workbook training.
Increased IT costs: If your current systems are not up to spec, you may need an upgrade or have to make other costly adjustments.
Dissatisfied customers: When customers wait for lagging AR or VR capabilities to load, it can cost you a sale.

Before integrating AR and VR into your company, it is crucial to understand how prepared you are to implement these technologies and how you can handle a loss of connectivity. You can achieve this with a business impact analysis (BIA).

First, identify the operations you want to enhance with AR and VR applications. Chart the dependencies involving this department, then assess the impact on your operations, especially connectivity disruptions. What losses will your company suffer if services lag or go down?

A BIA will help you plan how to recover your operations in light of disruption and which functions you should prioritize first when disruption strikes. What connectivity solutions can you employ to protect your company when rolling out AR and VR applications?

Connectivity Solutions for AR and VR

Before moving forward with these applications, it’s crucial to first understand the impact of latency on VR and AR. Latency is the time between a user action and the computing process delivering the result. In VR, longer latency gaps can lead to problems like motion sickness, disruption of the immersive experience, and delayed interactions when engaging with the environment.

Connectivity is one of the most important factors for reducing latency. Wireless connections must be stable and fast. Wired networks can relieve some of the burden, but are impractical. That’s why 5G is a must when rolling out AR and VR, but even those services can be slow to deliver the best connectivity. The best way to unlock AR and VR is with 5G edge computing. While 5G provides over 1000 times the bandwidth of 4G, edge networking can reduce latency, that is, the time it takes to deliver computing services. Edge systems are networks of stations positioned closer to high-traffic areas that, in effect, move the cloud closer to the user.

Currently, most AR apps and hardware only have a single function with limited mobile capabilities. The ultimate goal is to build multiple base stations that work together to provide more extensive VR and AR capabilities. Edge networks can deliver pervasive AR, providing more flexibility for an enhanced, personalized user experience. As pervasive computing advances, 5G edge networks can help solve these latency challenges.

Companies should also consider dark fiber to increase bandwidth capabilities. In contrast to standard shared fiber networks, dark fiber is only leased to organizations. This reduces pipeline traffic and latency issues.

AR and VR provide innovative opportunities for companies to streamline operations and enhance experiences for employees and customers. By assessing these challenges, you can find solutions that allow you to provide cutting-edge experiences, elevating your business in the process.

Indiana Lee is a writer who focuses on emerging tech, wellness, and environmental topics.