Amazon has also cancelled its participation at the MWC in Barcelona due to concerns about the coronavirus. Further companies could follow.
Online giant Amazon will not be attending the MWC in Barcelona due to concerns about the novel coronavirus. This is the result of a statement by the company, reports the news agency Reuters. This makes Amazon the fourth major company to cancel its participation in the Mobile World Congress due to the coronavirus.
In addition to Amazon, LG, the network supplier Ericsson and Nvidia have also cancelled the MWC 2020. Amazon's planned presence at the MWC was mainly due to the cloud computing division AWS. To kick off the event, Amazon wanted to hold an all-day conference, reports Reuters. Amazon had booked several stands in Hall 1.
Many Samsung employees cancel
There is also news from another important exhibitor: Samsung will probably participate in the MWC at least to a limited extent, reports the US technology magazine Cnet. However, many Samsung employees have cancelled their trip to Barcelona, writes Cnet, citing unspecified sources. The absence of the world's most important mobile phone manufacturer would be another hard blow for the MWC.
The MWC organizer GSMA wants to let the mobile industry event take place according to the current status despite the high-ranking cancellations. A comprehensive catalogue of measures should limit the danger from the coronavirus as far as possible. For example, no travelers from Hubei Province, in whose capital Wuhan the coronavirus broke out, will be allowed. All travelers from China must also prove that they left China 14 days before the event. A no-handshake policy and the use of disinfectants are intended to limit the danger for the approximately 100,000 expected visitors.
Huawei takes part
Many companies are still holding on to their participation. "Huawei will participate as planned," a Huawei spokesperson told heise online, "We are working with the GSMA on preventive measures to contain the spread of the 2019-nCoV. The health and safety of our employees and visitors is a top priority."
Nokia intends to wait and see how the situation develops: "So far we are sticking to our plans for participation, but the situation is on the move," a spokesperson said. "Our decision will always be made in the interest of the health and safety of our employees and customers.
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