LG Uplus officials, including Senior Executive Vice President Lee Sang-min, hold an on-line news conference on the establishment of an alliance, dubbed “Global XR Content Telco Alliance” by LG Uplus and seven companies at LG Uplus headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, on Sept. 1. (Photos: LG Uplus)

LG Uplus Vice Chairman Ha Hyun-hoe.

LG Uplus said on Sept. 1 it has formed an alliance, dubbed “Global XR Content Telco Alliance,” with seven companies in six countries to develop 5G-based augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) content.

With the telecom service provider taking the initiative, Japan’s KDDI Corp., China Telecom Corp., Bell Canada and U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm are taking part in the alliance.

Also joining in the alliance are global VR developers such as Canada’s Felix & Paul Studios and France’s Atlas V.

LG Uplus proposed the formation of such an alliance on 5G-based XR content while participating in the Orange Business Summit, which was hosted by Orange Group in Paris, France, in April 2019.

The proposal paid off one year and three months later. LG Uplus will serve as the first chair of the alliance until its organization is inaugurated.

The goal of forming the XR alliance is to promote technology development and reduce costs. LG Uplus said joint investments will reduce costs and member companies will converge their technology capabilities to ramp up their technological competence.

Senior Executive Vice President Lee Sang-min of LG Uplus said diverse Korean and foreign companies are scrambling to boost the bugeoning XR content industry.

Telcos are member companies and global content developers are participating as business partners with the goal of nurturing the alliance into the world’s largest 5G-based content organization.

Logos of the participants of an alliance, dubbed “Global XR Content Telco Alliance,” including Japan’s KDDI Corp., China Telecom Corp., Bell Canada and U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm.