6G-XR trial: holographic calling on live 5G SA

A European 6G-XR consortium led by Capgemini, Ericsson, i2CAT and Vicomtech demonstrated holographic calling and edge-anchored XR services on live standalone 5G, signaling how networks will evolve to support immersive collaboration at 6G scale.

Real-time holography and distributed XR validated

The team executed end-to-end trials of real-time holographic communication and distributed XR experiences spanning edge nodes across Barcelona and Madrid. The holographic scenario delivered consistent, bi-directional 3D presence over Ericsson 5G SA infrastructure using i2CAT-developed technology optimized for point cloud/volumetric streaming. In parallel, the XR scenario validated how applications can dynamically select the optimal edge node and adapt to heterogeneous compute environments via standardized APIs.

Proactive congestion control for spatial media

To keep spatial media stable under cell load, the partners implemented proactive congestion detection—an algorithmic capability that monitors per-cell performance and tunes bitrate, frame rates and fidelity in real time. They also showcased an on-demand quality mechanism that prioritizes holographic traffic and can tap additional resources when contention rises, aligning with emerging QoS-on-demand models.

Integrating 5G SA, edge, analytics and IMS for XR

The project highlights a pragmatic integration stack: 5G SA for deterministic QoS, edge compute for low-latency rendering and pre-processing, network analytics for closed-loop control, and application-level adaptability for resilience. Notably, the consortium has referenced IMS Data Channel as a vehicle to anchor real-time holographic streams within operator service frameworks—an important step to make immersive calling discoverable, billable and interoperable.

Implications for 5G-Advanced and 6G performance

The demonstrations translate XR and holography from lab concepts into network-manageable services, clarifying how RAN, core and edge must coordinate to meet tight latency, jitter and reliability targets.

Uplink-centric demands and tighter jitter/packet loss budgets

Compared with conventional video, volumetric and holographic media impose stricter jitter and packet loss constraints alongside higher, more variable uplink demand. That stresses UL scheduling, buffer management and interference control in mid-band cells and drives the case for uplink-centric features in 5G-Advanced and 6G, including enhanced UL MIMO, grant-free access refinements and fine-grained QoS handling.

Per-session, policy-driven optimization with NWDAF, RIC and MEC

The trial underscores a shift from static QoS profiles to per-session, policy-driven optimization. XR apps that expose intent (e.g., motion-to-photon thresholds, depth fidelity) let the network select the right slice template, admit resources on demand, and steer flows to the best edge. Expect tighter coupling with 3GPP analytics (NWDAF), RAN control (RIC), ETSI MEC services and API frameworks such as GSMA Open Gateway/CAMARA for QoS and edge discovery.

IMS Data Channel enables interoperable immersive calling

Integrating holographic streams through IMS Data Channel shows how immersive communications can piggyback on established session control, identity, and charging. This lowers go-to-market friction versus over-the-top approaches and opens multi-party, cross-operator interoperability once specifications mature.

Implementation patterns for deployable 6G-XR

The project provides concrete implementation patterns operators and vendors can reuse in near-term deployments and standards contributions.

Closed-loop adaptation using cell telemetry with RIC/NWDAF

Cell-level telemetry feeds an adaptation loop that trades volumetric fidelity for stability before congestion manifests to the end user. This approach is more effective than reactive buffering for XR because it preserves motion smoothness and depth continuity, two drivers of presence and comfort. Vendors should align these controls with RIC xApps/rApps and NWDAF analytics to make them deployable at scale.

QoS-on-demand and dynamic policy for interactive sessions

On-demand prioritization maps well to CAMARA QoS-on-Demand and dynamic policy control in 5G core, enabling short-lived boosts for interactive sessions without permanent overprovisioning. For commercialization, operators will need clear policy tiers, exposure APIs, and safeguards to prevent QoS starvation for best-effort users.

Edge discovery and runtime adaptation via ETSI MEC APIs

The XR demo showed application-driven edge discovery with runtime adaptation to compute capabilities and load. This aligns with ETSI MEC discovery and service APIs and suggests operators should converge on consistent exposure models so ISVs can build once and deploy across footprints. Multi-region orchestration and state handover are key for session continuity as users move.

Operator and enterprise action plan

The results indicate where to invest now to de-risk future holographic and XR workloads that span multiple domains.

SA upgrades, analytics pipelines and QoS exposure priorities

Prioritize SA upgrades focused on UL capacity and jitter control; deploy observability pipelines (NWDAF, RIC, transport telemetry) that feed application-aware policies; and pilot QoS-on-demand and edge discovery via Open Gateway. Begin integrating IMS Data Channel and evaluate charging models for immersive sessions. At the edge, standardize GPU/codec stacks and consider pre-processing (e.g., volumetric compression) to reduce backhaul stress.

Intent-aware XR apps using standard QoS and edge APIs

Design XR/holographic apps to declare intent and adapt dynamically—support variable bitrate point clouds, scalable meshes and graceful degradation. Leverage standardized APIs for edge selection and QoS rather than bespoke integrations. For industrial use cases, tie immersive collaboration to digital twins and PLM workflows, and quantify ROI via reduced downtime, faster training and fewer site visits.

Device, codec and volumetric capture readiness

End-user experience depends on capture rigs, sensors and codecs as much as the network. Track maturing standards for volumetric compression (e.g., MPEG-I V-PCC/GPCC) and invest in energy-efficient uplink pipelines on devices to address thermal and battery constraints during continuous capture.

Next steps: standards, pilots and KPIs

The path from trials to commercial services will hinge on standardization, ecosystem alignment and measurable KPIs.

3GPP Rel-19/20, MEC API evolution, CAMARA and IMS Data Channel

Monitor 3GPP Release 19/20 items targeting XR/holography performance, QoS exposure, and compute-awareness, along with ETSI MEC API evolution and CAMARA QoS and edge APIs. Progress on IMS Data Channel profiles for immersive media will be pivotal for interop.

Cross-operator pilots and edge placement partnerships

Expect further city-pair pilots and inter-operator roaming scenarios to validate consistent quality and policy enforcement. Partnerships between operators, hyperscalers and ISVs will shape edge placement, GPU pools and developer tooling.

KPIs: motion-to-photon, jitter percentiles and session continuity

Move beyond throughput to track motion-to-photon latency, depth consistency, jitter percentiles and session continuity during mobility and cell edge conditions. These are the metrics that predict user comfort and collaboration efficiency and will determine commercial readiness.