In a major blow to the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2020 later this month, Ericsson has also pulled out from the event because of the outbreak and continued spreading of the novel corona virus.
The company says that after an extensive internal risk assessment, it decided to withdraw from the MWC Barcelona 2020 as precautionary measures. It said that prior to making this decision, the company was closely monitored the development and adhered to recommendations from relevant national authorities and international bodies, such as the WHO.
Ericsson says that while it appreciates GSMA for doing everything they can to control the risk, the company cannot guarantee the health and safety of its employees and visitors. Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, says: “The health and safety of our employees, customers and other stakeholders are our highest priority. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We were looking forward to showcasing our latest innovations at MWC in Barcelona. It is very unfortunate, but we strongly believe the most responsible business decision is to withdraw our participation from this year’s event.”
With still weeks to go, other exibitors could also pull out from MWC 2020 which is the the largest event in the telecom industry. Prior to this announcement from Ericsson, LG and ZTE had announced that they would not take part in MWC this year.
MWC has been confirmed to take place in Barcelona from 24 to 27, February 2020 as planned. The company has also said that it has implemented many measures to make sure that the virus foes not spread. It also added that it is continuing to add other actions regularly.
