Page 10 - Executive briefing on the metaverse

Executive briefing on the metaverse

1 Accelerating digital transformation through the metaverse

Achieving universal and meaningful digital connectivity, the opportunity for all people to
enjoy a safe, satisfying, enriching, productive and affordable online experience, is key for
enabling digital transformation and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The
investment and positive momentum generated by the promise of the metaverse offers a unique
opportunity to build a better online experience for people around the world and accelerate
the digital transformation required to achieve the SDGs. However, the metaverse also poses
many policy and technical challenges that could undermine its potential.

Figure 1: The metaverse and SDGs

2 What is the metaverse

The metaverse has become one disruptive area of innovation with great potential to change
our economy and society, and the way we live and communicate. While there is currently
no internationally agreed definition of the metaverse, it is expected to draw on a number
of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), immersive technology, digital twin, cloud
computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and distributed ledger technology in new and innovative
ways.

The metaverse commonly refers to a future persistent and interconnected virtual environment
in which social and economic elements mirror reality. Users are expected to have the ability
to interact with one another in the metaverse simultaneously across devices and immersive
technologies, while engaging with digital assets and property. Using virtual reality (VR) and
1
augmented reality (AR), immersive experiences are created where users can create virtual
avatars to represent them in any desired shape or form. Another technological aspect is the
bandwidth and equipment requirements such as devices and hardware needed to access the
metaverse. The quality of the metaverse experience thus will depend on the type of equipment
and Internet connection to which a user has access. 2

2