Nokia has open-sourced VolStream, a reference implementation designed to facilitate real-time, end-to-end volumetric video streaming. Built on MPEG V3C and RTP standards, the software supports live encoding, transmission, and rendering on commercial hardware for XR and telepresence applications.
By open-sourcing a standards-based reference implementation, Nokia is attempting to move volumetric video from proprietary lab experiments into the interoperable streaming stack. The decision to leverage existing 2D codecs via MPEG V3C significantly lowers the hardware barrier for streaming providers, as it utilizes established delivery pipelines and RTP transport. This could accelerate the deployment of spatial telepresence and live XR events by providing a vendor-neutral blueprint for low-latency 3D delivery. Watch for whether major cloud service providers integrate VolStream into their media service offerings to support burgeoning XR device ecosystems.
The release of VolStream coincides with significant milestones in the standardization of immersive media. Per MPEG reporting from October 2025, the organization finalized the fourth edition of MPEG-I Part 5 (V3C), which established a unified framework for point cloud and mesh-based volumetric data. This update was critical for the industry as it allowed V3C to serve as a generic structural foundation for multiple types of 3D content, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone for future AI-assisted and immersive video systems.
Simultaneously, the broader codec landscape is experiencing a shift toward hybrid adoption models. While Versatile Video Coding (VVC) was approved as a full ATSC 3.0 standard in July 2025, it remains an optional enhancement rather than a mandatory replacement for HEVC, per Streaming Media reporting from March 2026. This fragmented environment underscores why Nokia is emphasizing standards like V3C that can wrap around various 2D codecs; it allows developers to build for 3D environments without being locked into a single, potentially high-royalty video compression format.
Industry movement in 2025 also highlighted the rising importance of specialized media delivery. For example, Brazil’s TV 3.0 decree in August 2025 mandated VVC and LCEVC for its next-generation broadcast stack, signaling that regulators and operators are increasingly looking for multi-layered solutions to handle complex visual data. Nokia’s push for real-time volumetric video via VolStream enters a market that is actively seeking scalable ways to deliver high-fidelity spatial content over existing, often constrained, commercial bandwidth.
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