LIVE FROM MWC LAS VEGAS 2022: Mobile operators were tipped to play a key role for defining the metaverse, keynote speakers explained, including in putting a virtual environment in every pocket through mobile phones.

Ralph Simon, founder and CEO of Mobilium (pictured, right), stated the metaverse can be a revenue generator for companies if there are long-term relationships with mobile operators

Alex Barkaloff, founding member, strategic marketing and innovation for community-based IP organisation X.LA Foundation (pictured, left), provided several examples of how the metaverse can be used in real life, including shopping for furniture or a car.

Customers can enter a metaverse of their own living rooms to see how different colours and types of furniture would look. They could also position the furniture in their living rooms to see how well it fits.

Along the same lines, a car dealer can could learn a customer’s preference for a colour or interior to show a line-up of vehicles in a metaverse.

Barkaloff noted both of those use cases shave off purchase time for both shoppers and business owners.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for telcos to provide metaverse as a service,” he said.

The metaverse could also “gamify” financial service education to engage a Gen Z audience on how to handle their finances. Barkaloff stated he has had conversations with a large bank on that type of service.

XLA is also looking at doing “swag” drops to reward metaverse customers while also expanding the ecosystem.

“Scalability equals simplification,” he said. “Mobile can define the metaverse.”