More big names are stepping away from the world’s biggest phone and telecom trade fair, they announced today, prompting the organizers to urgently decide what they wish to do going forward.
Nokia, [1] one of the omnipresent firms at major tech trade conferences, won’t be attending this year’s Mobile World Congress, it said Wednesday citing health and safety concerns over coronavirus outbreak. Electronics giant HMD, which sells smartphones under Nokia brand, cited similar reasoning[2] for its withdrawal, too.
The iconic Finnish firm, one of the cornerstone companies at MWC, and HMD have become the latest to back out of the trade fair. In recent days, scores of firms including Ericsson, Amazon[3], Vivo, LG, Facebook, and Sony have withdrawn their participation from the world’s biggest smartphones-focused trade show[4].
German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom[5], BT, Britain’s biggest telecommunications group, and London-headquartered telecoms giant Vodafone[6] have also backed out citing coronavirus outbreak, they announced on Wednesday. French-Italian semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics is also not attending, it said.
MWC attracts over 100,000 attendees, thousands of companies and high-profile executives who use this global platform to broker deals and unveil their upcoming gadgets and innovations to the world.
The trade fair also contributes to the bottom line of Barcelona city. This year, the four-day trade show was scheduled to take place from February 27.
“While the health and safety of our employees is our absolute priority, we also recognize that we have a responsibility to the industry and our customers. In view of this, we have taken the necessary time to evaluate a fast-moving situation, engage with the GSMA and other stakeholders, regularly consult external experts and authorities, and plan to manage risks...