Mobile World Congress 2020, the biggest annual mobile phone showcase, has been dismissed as a result of the Coronavirus (Covid19) Outbreak. The wireless industry will not be able to roll out new 5G products and services at this year’s event.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) has been held in Barcelona for the past 33 years. MWC also contributes meaningfully to the city of Barcelona, the second-largest city in Spain. Several telecommunication companies gather to showcase their latest innovations to more than 100000 participants from across the world.
This will be the first time that the organizers will be calling off the event. The cancellation will affect local businesses that invest heavily in hosting visitors. The smartphone industry is putting measures in place to ensure that the situation is appropriately managed.
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The event was supposed to be held from 24th February to 27th February 2020 but canceled as a result of the epidemic. There are global anxieties regarding the Coronavirus outbreak, especially travel concerns.
The list of companies that have pulled out includes Sony Corp, Vodafone Group Plc, Deutsche Telekom AG, Nokia Oyj, and Ericsson AB. As of Tuesday, there were 1113 recorded death cases in China, and about 44653 people were confirmed infected. GSMA announced the event cancellation on Wednesday, 12th February 2020.
Every year, MWC is used to unveil the latest gadgets and generate media publicity. This year was supposed to be dedicated to the fifth-generation devices of the likes of Intel and Motorola. Health experts are advising top companies against the exposure of hundreds of employees to international travels. These companies will now have to reschedule individual launch events.
The Coronavirus outbreak has also affected other global conferences such as Formula One and Singapore’s Airshow.
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