KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Right now Sukma 2024 is happening in Sarawak and instead of being there in the stadium, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil decided to be there...virtually.

Why? How? Apparently telcos CelcomDigi and U Mobile worked with ZTE Corporations to set up a virtual reality (VR) experience in Stadium Sarawak.

The setup is interesting: several 360-degree cameras were fitted in the stadium to create and extended reality (XR) viewing experience that you can access via a VR headset.

Think a real-time, 360-degree view of the arena powered by the connectivity it is showcasing namely 5G-Advanced (5G-A).

Besides the XR setup, 5G-A tech was also used to broadcast what the telcos say is the country’s first-ever 5G-A live broadcast of the Sukma opening ceremony and it also made the Malaysia Book of Records for achieving the fastest mobile speed at 30.8Gbps via 5G-A, during a live trial in Kuching.