In an expected move, the GSM Association (GSMA) on Wednesday has decided to call off this year’s Mobile World Congress 2020 (MWC) in Barcelona.
This announcement comes at a time when a slew of major technology brands like Facebook and Amazon among others withdrew their participation from the event amid concerns regarding the coronavirus.
In its statement, the GSMA said, “with due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event.”
The MWC 2020 was slated to take place from 24 February to 27 February in Barcelona this year. This is considered as the biggest industry event for the mobile fraternity, where new products are announced, as well as showcased to the public.
Tech giants like Amazon, Nvidia, LG, ZTE, Ericsson, Sony, and even Chinese smartphone brand Vivo have withdrawn their names from this year’s MWC citing concerns over the public health risks around the coronavirus.
As of 12 February, Nokia, HMD Global, Facebook, MediaTek, Asus, Cisco, and Intel also confirmed their withdrawal from this year’s event. All these development and concern about people’s health at the event is likely to have prompted GSMA to make this call, which in the current scheme of things was the right thing to do.
Interestingly, many Chinese brands like Oppo, Xiaomi and Realme among others were expected to go ahead and make their product launches at the event. But with GSMA calling off the event, details of their future course of action is still awaited.
MWC 2020 is probably the first big event of the year that has been affected by the impact of coronavirus, and the CEO of GSMA shared his sympathies for those in China and other parts of the world. “ Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world,”
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)