Verizon Media Hosted Hong Kong's city-first 5G Immersive Cross-Realm Virtual Event

HONG KONG,Sept.16,2020 -- The tumultuous year of 2020 also marks Yahoo's 25th anniversary globally. Seizing this momentous moment to drive timeless passion,Verizon Media today hosted a city-first 5G immersive cross-realm virtual event,the "Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G". With CSL Mobile as its 5G strategic partner,Yahoo Hong Kong is the first in the city to offer consumers a never-before-seen immersive experience with 5G technology.

From left to right: Head of RYOT Studio EMEA Mr. Mark Melling,Managing Director of CSL Consumer Mobile Mr. Bruce Lam,Head of International & eCommerce of Verizon Media Ms. Rose Tsou,Co-head of APAC,Verizon Media Mr. Rico Chan and Ms. Erika Wang

Co-head of APAC,Verizon Media Mr. Rico Chan (Left) & Managing Director of CSL Consumer Mobile Mr. Bruce Lam (Right)

Verizon Media Hong Kong surveyed Hong Kongers' anticipations for 5G

5G turns the page to a new era; so to better understand consumers' expectations for 5G,Verizon Media conducted a market survey of more than 10,000 people,of which 78% think 5G means faster speeds; while more than half look forward to the positive changes it'll have on their lives; and 23% anticipate the high-resolution AR/VR experiences 5G will bring. With faster speeds,broader bandwidth,better connectivity and lower latency,5G will surely realize an enriched AR/VR immersive experience for consumers.

To craft the best-in-class 5G immersive AR/VR experiences,Yahoo Hong Kong has partnered with CSL Mobile to debut the first Yahoo 5G SIM card,whereby every Yahoo user can register for a free Yahoo 5G SIM with 80GB local data available for 30 days. Users will also be eligible for 1,800 YPoints upon registration.

"Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G"

The concept of "Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G" is to reveal remarkable moments of Hong Kong's "past" with the "future",via the next story-telling technology. A lot of our world's extraordinary "who","what" and "where" were birthed in Hong Kong,which were all recreated in front of our eyes via unprecedented technologies. This project highlights Yahoo Hong Kong's deep-rooted connection with its consumers. Themed around the city,this all-new immersive experience is composed of VR interactions,VR 360 video,Yahoo Hong Kong Search x Web AR and more-- all in hopes to take consumers on an exceptional,immersive journey to a world beyond imagination.

City-first 5G Interactive and Cross-Realm Virtual Event

Attending guests of the event will transform into a bespoke avatar and "gather" in a VR platform especially tailored by Yahoo Hong Kong,with the Pico VR headset. Through VR and AR,Yahoo has crafted virtual scenes that tug at our heartstrings,such as Hong Kong's first panda duo An An and Jia Jia,Hong Kong-made Chinese vampire movies,our city's first Olympic gold-medal winner Lai-Shan Lee and more collective memories that,for the past 20 years,have accompanied not only each and every Hong Konger,but also ones that Yahoo Hong Kong has witnessed since its creation.

Taiwan-based Head of International & eCommerce of Verizon Media Ms. Rose Tsoukicked off the event and said,"As people turned to trusted sources online to keep up with the news they need,readership on our sites like Yahoo News and HuffPost rose phenomenally,with double-digit growth worldwide. This shift in news consumption online had implications for brands too. Given the abundance of fake news and false information,the environment a brand is seen in now matters more than ever-- consumers today feel more favorable toward brands that advertise on credible news sites they trust.Over the last few months,we've worked closely with businesses,going on this journey with them with simplicity and flexibility,collaborating on innovative solutions to meet changing customer expectations and address new business challenges. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented changes. The future has come closer,much sooner. 5G can help brands step into this future,accelerating solutions for consumers that are hugely useful,but also bring excitement,fun and joy at a time when the world cannot step out."

The UK-based Head of RYOT Studio EMEA Mr. Mark Melling added,"An exponential shift in the power of our connected devices - 25 billion worldwide - has already started,thanks to 5G. In fact,Statista predicts that 5G is set to beat the adoption record for new tech,to reach one billion consumers,outpacing 4G by 12.5%,and 4 times quicker than the internet itself. Through faster internet speeds,higher data volume and lower latency,5G is here to bring extraordinary experiences in the virtual world."

Co-head of APAC,Verizon Media Mr. Rico Chan and Ms. Erika Wangalso shared the developments of immersive experiences at the event. Mr. Rico Chan said,"The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the digitization of a number of businesses as well as the adaptation and development of 5G technology. Verizon Media has been active in creating innovative content to help our advertisers turn this global crisis into opportunity with never-before-seen interactive experiences. Today,we are delighted to kick off the Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G that showcases not only collective memories that tug at Hong Kongers' heartstrings,but also the newest VR and AR technology Verizon Media and RYOT have to offer. We are also excited to announce our partnership with CSL Mobile in our road to opening up a new 5G-helmed chapter for Hong Kong."

Ms. Erika Wang added,"5G investment and strategy play a pivotal role in our Asia-Pacific region. Given 5G's unique characteristics and the popularity of AR/VR in the future,we see immense potential in immersive content that will revolutionize our digital consumption behaviours and fill our lives with imagination and creativity. This event is Verizon Media's first step towards the future of 5G content application. We will continue to pair 5G with Verizon Media's many technologies to craft ingeniously immersive content for both consumers and media partners."

Event's 5G partner representative, Managing Director of CSL Consumer Mobile Mr. Bruce Lam also attended the virtual event to announce CSL Mobile's partnership with Verizon Media. "CSL Mobile is pleased to join hands with Verizon Media to unveil the first Yahoo Hong Kong x csl 5G SIM card,enables users to enjoy ultra-fast and uninterrupted immersive AR content with 80GB free 5G local mobile data."

Yahoo25-- Exploring the best of Hong Kong with technology

The dawn of 5G technology creates a new dimension of storytelling and enhances current media experiences,making them more immersive and interactive. The Yahoo25 Anniversary campaign will utilize VR interactions,Yahoo Hong Kong Search x Web AR and more in the "Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G" and "Yahoo Search x Hong Kong Foodie" events. These AR-enabled experiences remind us of the little blessings in our daily lives as well as the remarkable icons and events birthed right here in our backyard. Turn on the AR function on your phone and search for specific keywords on the Yahoo Hong Kong search engine to ultimately discover the timeless passion of our city.

Witness Hong Kong's momentous moments with AR

A lot of our world's extraordinary "who","what" and "where" were birthed in Hong Kong and continue to tug at our heartstrings. Yahoo Hong Kong has selected the most-searched local events and have brought them to life with AR,taking our viewers on a trip down memory lane to witness the changes in our beautiful city.

Download High-resolution images here: https://tinyurl.com/y2keyznq

Download videos here: https://tinyurl.com/yyu5bkdo

About Verizon Media

Verizon Media,a division of Verizon Communications,Inc.,connects people to their passions. With trusted brands like Yahoo,TechCrunch and HuffPost,we help people stay informed and entertained,communicate and transact while creating new ways for advertisers and media partners to connect. From XR experiences to advertising and content technology,Verizon Media is an incubator of innovation and is revolutionizing the next generation of content creation in a 5G world. This press release is issued by Above The Line for and on behalf of Verizon Media.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200916/2919004-1-a?lang=0

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200916/2919004-1-b?lang=0