From digital twin to metaverse: the role of 6G ultra-reliable and low-latency communications with multi-tier computing

With the advanced development of digital twin (DT), mobile virtual reality, augmented reality, and tactile internet, metaverse has re-emerged as a new form of internet. However, it is still a long way off from fully achieving the immersive and pervasive metaverse experience. First and foremost, the wireless communications, networking, and computing for DT are still in their infancy, especially, to achieve the stringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in terms of very high data rate, ultra-high success reception rate, and minimal latency. Recently, multi-tier computing empowered wireless ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) in 6G have been considered as a key technique to realize the full potential of metaverse. This article discusses an innovative paradigm of URLLC multi-tier computing in 6G that supports DT networks for metaverse applications, not only fundamental requirements, but also enabling technologies, visions, and future challenges.