What you need to know
- Ericsson has announced that it is withdrawing from MWC 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
- The news comes just days after LG and ZTE announced that they are skipping MWC over Coronavirus concerns.
- MWC 2020 is set to kick off on February 24.
Earlier this week, LG and ZTE announced that they are skipping Mobile World Congress this year as a result of Coronavirus. Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson has now confirmed in a press release that it too will not be attending MWC 2020 in Barcelona later this month.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, said in a statement:
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.
Ericsson says that while it appreciates the steps taken by the GSMA to control the risk at the event, it doesn't want to take any chances with the health and safety of its employees or visitors. Even though Ericsson isn't a consumer-facing brand like LG and ZTE, it has always had among the biggest booths at MWC every year.
Ok, THIS is a big deal. Ericsson is typically the entire back chunk of Hall 2 - one of the biggest booths at the entire show, with its own food stalls and cafe areas. #mwc2020 https://t.co/hvltTLD56JOk, THIS is a big deal. Ericsson is typically the entire back chunk of Hall 2 - one of the biggest booths at the entire show, with its own food stalls and cafe areas. #mwc2020 https://t.co/hvltTLD56J— Sascha C-Band (@saschasegan) February 7, 2020February 7, 2020
While the company will not be participating in the largest event in the telecom industry this year, it has decided to showcase some of its new innovations at local events called "Ericsson Unboxed." Dates for these events, however, have not been announced yet.
Some of the steps that GSMA has implemented to help mitigate the spread of Coronavirus at MWC 2020 include increased onsite medical support, advising exhibitors to implement effective cleaning and disinfection of booths, availability of sanitizing and disinfection materials, installation of new signage reminding all attendees of hygiene recommendations, and a no-handshake policy.
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