TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — HTC Corporation unveiled its first 5G phone using its Viverse metaverse platform in Kaohsiung Wednesday (June 29).

The government of the southern city welcomed the event as a sign of support for its efforts to promote the development of the local 5G AIoT sector, CNA reported.

The introduction of the HTC Desire 22 Pro phone followed the company’s announcement it was cooperating with Kaohsiung City, and with banks and telecom operators to establish a “Web 3.0” environment. The city said it was working with HTC on two projects, the Viveland amusement park and the 5G XR O-RAN experimental area.

A metaverse exhibition in Kaohsiung will attract participants from the arts, sports, and urban arenas, while popularizing the new concepts with visitors, according to officials.