Japanese Telecom Giant NTT Docomo Launches Metaverse Unit “Qonoq”

Japanese Telecom Giant NTT Docomo Launches Metaverse Unit “Qonoq”

NTT Docomo, the largest telecom company in Japan, has launched the new Metaverse Unit named Qonoq. The unit is already operating with a staff of 200 people, researching and developing software and hardware solutions directed at integrating extended reality products for customers of the Japanese telecom company.

NTT Docomo Enters the Metaverse

Telecom companies around the world are fascinated by the concept of the metaverse and the new services the digital world can offer to their customers. NTT Docomo, the biggest wireless telecom company in Japan with more than 80 million customers, launched its metaverse division earlier this month, the first move for the company into the metaverse market.

The unit is named Qonoq and has a staff of 200 employees dedicated to building software and hardware products for users and customers of the company. The estimated budget of the new division is around USD 412 million and will largely focus on three key objectives.

The first objective is to provide metaverse experiences through its world, called "XR World," and also a venue for virtual concerts called "Matrix Stream," which will be optimized for content delivery.

The second objective includes the "digital twin" business, which allows customers to complement the information about a particular venue with extended reality. The third one includes the production of hardware devices to enjoy metaverse experiences in an immersive way.

Telecom Companies in the Metaverse

While the biggest push for the metaverse space is currently being promoted by Meta, telecom carriers have also seen the value of integrating this kind of service into their portfolios. Telefonica, one of the biggest Spain-based carriers, has also partnered with Meta to establish its Metaverse hub in Spain and with Qualcomm to produce Metaverse experiences for its customers.

Orange is another European telecom company that has been interested in entering the metaverse space, having opened a cyberspace-based center to teach digital skills in the virtual world. Korean carrier, SK Telecom, has already developed its metaverse platform, named Ifland, and it is now in the process of revamping its platform to open it to European users through a partnership with Deutsche Telekom.