Telecommunications is another field which has utilised virtual reality technology, in particular mobile communications which enables easy access to a variety of VR based projects.
The main challenge is that of dealing with a medium which mainly relies upon tone of voice, intonation, gesture and body language as compared to spoken words. In fact, spoken words only account for a very small percentage of the overall communication.
But traditional forms of communication such as the telephone are being superseded by video conferencing, Skype and live chat. These communication mediums can be used on the internet and other similar systems and are seen as cheaper and more flexible.
Telecommunications can be used to help virtual reality systems such as surgery simulation or telemedicine. An example of this is remote surgery in which images from that surgery can be transmitted to various locations around the world. It also enables surgery to be performed in remote locations using robotic technology and virtual reality.