• Coronavirus, other big names in technology give up the Barcelona Smartphone Fair
  • Coronavirus, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at risk

Share

10 February 2020 The Japanese Sony joins the list of companies that, due to the coronavirus, give up participating in the Mobile world congress (Mwc), the largest mobile phone fair, scheduled for February 24 to 27 in Barcelona. "We have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the exhibition", the company informs a note, in which it adds that the expected press conference of February 24 will be held, "but on video, through our official channel on YouTube".

I'm not coming too
Sony's renunciation arrives in the aftermath of that of Amazon, confirmed on Sunday evening after rumors of the Spanish press and follows those of Lg, Erisccon and Nvidia, while the Chinese giants Huawei and Zte have confirmed their presence, while it remains South Korean giant Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, is on track.

The online retail giant Amazon and the multinational Sony have announced they will not participate in Barcelona's Mobile World Congress over concerns about the novel coronavirus. They are the latest big names to pull out of this major industry event. https://t.co/AP3fxjClGv

- El País in English (@elpaisinenglish) February 10, 2020
Amazon's renunciation of MWC may seem less heavy as it does not have a strong presence as an exhibitor for the general public, but it is a very important commercial partner for technology companies that rely on the AWS web hosting service.

Letter to the participants
GSMA, the organizer of the MWC, says that the preparations for the fair are proceeding "as planned": even if some large exhibitors have decided not to participate, "more than 2,800 exhibitors remain confirmed." In a letter sent to exhibitors and to the press, GSMA informs that further precautionary measures have been taken:

In particular, all travelers from Hubei Province will not be allowed access to the event. In addition, participants who have been to China will have to prove that they have returned 14 days before the event through the passport stamp or a health certificate; there will also be a temperature screening for the participants who will also have to certify that they have not been in contact with infected people.

Economic damages
The Catalan authorities call on reasonableness, with the mayor of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau, who asks not to fuel the "social alarm".