METAVERSE-READY NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURES: REQUIREMENTS AND BOTTLENECKS

The Metaverse promises immersive, persistent digital environments that merge physical and virtual realities. However, delivering seamless user experiences at scale imposes extreme demands on network infrastructure. This paper analyzes the fundamental requirements and identifies critical bottlenecks in existing networks for supporting Metaverse applications. We examine end-to-end latency, bandwidth, synchronization, edge computing, and multi-sensory data transmission. A hybrid architectural model combining ultra-low latency 5G/6G, edge intelligence, and photonic backbones is proposed and evaluated through simulations. Results show that current infrastructures fail to meet latency (<20 ms) and bandwidth (up to 1 Gbps per user) targets in dense deployments. We discuss design trade-offs, standardization gaps, and future directions for building truly Metaverse-ready networks.