China Mobile's subsidiary in Fujian has collaborated with Huawei to launch what it says is the world's first operator cloud VR service.
Fujian Mobile has launched the AND Cloud VR, a service offering VR live broadcast, VR video on-demand, VR Imax, VR games, and VR education content for users.
According to Fujian Mobile, the new service leverages the computing power offered by cloud GPU rendering and cloud-based server architecture to ensure stable transmission of video streams while reducing the hardware requirements of the VR head mounted display.
The technology is cable free and VR hardware costs are reduced by 70% to 80%.
The company also engaged Huawei to upgrade its fiber network from 100Mbps to 1000Mbps in parts of the province to support the new service.
Fijuan Mobile is offering the service with bandwidth of 50Mbps, 100Mpbs or 1000Mbps.
In a statement, Huawei president of network products Zeng Xingyuan said video has always been a core part of Huawei's strategy. He added that the vendor will work with operators to build end-to-end networks to provide an optimal experience for video services, including VR video.
The vendor also plans to work with operators to build cloud-based and converged video platforms, and develop new video capabilities.