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Mobile World Congress cancelled over coronavirus concerns
2020’s premier world phone show case has been called off amid coronavirus concerns. The GSM Association (GSMA) said it had…
2020’s premier world phone show case has been called off amid coronavirus concerns. The GSM Association (GSMA) said it had become “impossible” for the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event to go ahead as planned in Barcelona.
BT, Facebook, LG, Nokia, Sony, Ericsson, and Vodafone were among the high-profile exhibitors to have pulled out of the annual event during the recent weeks. MWC was due to be held in Barcelona on 24-27 February. More than 100,000 people usually attend the annual event, about 6,000 of whom travel from China.
The organizers behind the Barcelona-based event, GSMA, announced Wednesday it would no longer be holding MWC due to ongoing concerns over the spread of a new strain of coronavirus which originated in China.
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“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,” GSMA said in a statement.