Networks for the Metaverse: Bandwidth Requirements and Routing Topology

The metaverse represents a new paradigm in digital interaction, aiming to deliver persistent, immersive, and synchronized 3D environments for work, entertainment, and education. Delivering such experiences requires significant advancements in networking, particularly in terms of bandwidth, latency, and routing topology. This paper analyzes the technical requirements for metaverse-ready networks, focusing on the demands for bandwidth and the role of adaptive routing in real-time virtual environments. Based on existing literature and modeling, we identify key bottlenecks in current network infrastructure and propose architectural strategies to enable scalable and responsive connectivity for the metaverse.