Singapore operator Singtel, in partnership with South Korean operator SK Telecom, has organized its first metaverse event at the Singtel Comcentre on 13 January. The demo was available exclusively for Singtel customers. According to Singtel, the “Destination: ifland” event demonstrated how Singtel’s 5G network can support and enable immersive metaverse experiences for consumers on SK Telecom’s ifland app, which was first launched in South Korea in July 2021. 

The ifland metaverse platform is designed to enable users to create their own digital avatars to chat and participate in a host of activities such as virtual concerts, celebrity fan meets and other events offered by SK Telecom and its partners. Users can also create their own “rooms” and invite their friends to participate in activities that are specific to their interests. 

About 130 participants, all winners of a contest that ran on Singtel’s Facebook and Instagram social media channels in December, took part in the showcase. Participants created and customised avatars of themselves in ifland before entering the exclusive Singtel x ifland room where they met American singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin. Beyond trying out the ifland app, participants were also took photos with Benjamin’s avatar via an interactive photobooth and explored other immersive metaverse experiences such as playing games using the Pico 4 augmented reality (AR) headsets. 

“Destination: ifland” is the first instalment in The Meta Guide, a series of metaverse-themed events Singtel plans to develop in collaboration with SK Telecom. The series is aimed at introducing new platforms and experiences in the metaverse for consumers to explore. More details will be shared in due course. 

The ifland app is currently available to Android and iOS users in over 49 countries. Singtel customers who download ifland can access exclusive benefits such as K-pop fan meets on ifland, and exclusive virtual merchandise in the near future. 

Singtel, SK Telecom to develop metaverse offerings for the region 

Singtel also reports it is currently working with SKT to develop virtual versions of places in Singapore and avatars customised to the local culture. In the long term, SK Telecom and Singtel plan to expand their metaverse offerings to countries where Singtel has a presence in, such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. In parallel, the two companies will also explore opportunities to collaborate in areas such as advanced data encryption to build safer networks against emerging cyber threats. 

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