[Comprehensive] Three Major Carriers from the US, France, and Taiwan Join the 5G Content Alliance

LG Uplus Leads as Chair Company
Leading 5G Content Development
7 Regions, 10 Operators Participating
Following First Project Worth 10 Billion KRW
Second Project Also Under Review

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] A massive content alliance leading the 5G era is coming. The world’s first 5G content alliance, XR Alliance, led by LG Uplus, has gained strong growth momentum with the addition of the largest mobile carriers from the United States, France, and Taiwan. Global telecom operators, content creators, and system companies have come together to accelerate the production of the second content project, which will surpass the first 10 billion KRW-scale project called the ‘Space Station’ project.

Expanded to 10 Operators in 7 Regions

LG Uplus, the inaugural chair company of the ‘Global XR Content Telco Alliance (XR Alliance),’ announced on the 10th that Verizon from the United States, Orange from France, and Tsinghua Telecom from Taiwan have newly joined. As a result, the number of participating companies has increased from 7 operators in 6 regions to 10 operators in 7 regions.

XR Alliance is the world’s first 5G content consortium launched in September last year. Leading companies from each country have joined forces to secure competitiveness in the extended reality (eXtended Reality) field, which encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and future emerging technologies, all considered core content in the 5G era, and to cultivate leading content power in their respective countries.

In October last year, XR Alliance released its first project, ‘Space Exploration Team: ISS Experience’ Episode 1, set against the International Space Station (ISS). Nearly 10 billion KRW was invested in this single project. Considering that the average production cost per domestic AR and VR content is about 300 million KRW, this represents more than 30 times the usual funding. Episode 2 is scheduled for simultaneous worldwide release this month, and Episodes 3 and 4, which will vividly depict actual space scenes, are planned to be unveiled within the year. The alliance has also begun planning a second project, reviewing content in the fields of world-famous performances, fairy tales, and animation. XR Alliance selects the content to be produced and provided through regular meetings.

AR·VR Highlighted as Future Growth Engines

LG Uplus announced on the 10th that global 5G content consortium 'XR Alliance' will be joined by Verizon from the United States, Orange from France, and Tsinghua Telecom from Taiwan. The photo shows Yoonho Choi, Executive Director of 5G Service Business at LG Uplus, having a video conference with the new member companies. Photo by LG Uplus

The driving factor for global companies’ participation is the demand for differentiation in XR content within each country. The UK market research firm Research and Markets forecasts that the AR·VR technology-related market will grow at an average annual rate of 23.3% until 2026, reaching 7.76 billion USD (approximately 8.8627 trillion KRW). Global consulting firm PwC predicts that the worldwide AR·VR market will increase more than 30 times from 46.4 billion USD (about 51 trillion KRW) in 2019 to 1.5 trillion USD (about 1,678 trillion KRW) by 2030.

Erin McPherson, Chief Content Officer of Verizon, said, "Verizon was the first company to lead the 5G era and provided customers with compelling XR content experiences. We look forward to expanding the immersive XR content market through collaboration with XR Alliance." Michelle Bian, Vice President of Change & Innovation Governance at Orange, and Morgan Bousset, Head of Content Innovation and XR, also stated, "Thanks to the XR Alliance led by LG Uplus, we expect to see and experience the best XR content from the best studios." Chen, President of Tsinghua Telecom, expressed expectations, saying, "Collaboration with XR Alliance will accelerate the adoption and application of XR technology and connect Taiwan’s 5G entertainment industry to the world."

Choi Yoon-ho, Executive Director of 5G Service Business at LG Uplus, emphasized, "For XR content to become popularized, high-quality killer content that everyone can enjoy, like blockbuster movies, is necessary. XR Alliance has the financial and technical foundation to produce such high-quality immersive media."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.