Telecoms giant Ericsson has announced it has withdrawn from this year's Mobile World Congress over the coronavirus threat.
The Swedish company made the decision with the health and safety of employees and attendees in mind, as well as to minimise the impact of the virus on business operations.
Demos and content created for the event will be shared at a series of events the company is calling “Ericsson Unboxed.”
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Coronavirus
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, said: “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's withdrawal makes it the second big name to pull out of the event after the South Korean tech giant LG dropped out earlier this week. Meanwhile, ZTE has cancelled its scheduled press conference but will go ahead with other activities.
GSMA, the organisation behind MWC, previously announced it expected the coronavirus outbreak to have no impact on the show. But safety guidelines, including a no handshake policy, were put in place to ensure the safety of visitors and exhibitors.
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