Google also withdraws from telecom fair MWC in June

Google will not be an exhibitor at the Mobile World Congress telecom fair. The organization wants to continue the fair in the Spanish city of Barcelona in June with 50,000 visitors, but some companies see risks for their employees and cancel.

Google tells The Verge that the decision is a result of travel restrictions within the company due to the coronavirus pandemic and that the search giant will continue to work with organizer GSMA for a physical show next year and virtual events this year. Google is by no means the largest exhibitor at the fair, but was present on the exhibition floor with several large stands with the latest physical versions.

The maker of Android is not the first to cancel. Network company Ericsson already canceled last month. Ericsson is one of the largest exhibitors at the fair, which is mainly aimed at telecom professionals. Nokia, Sony, Facebook, Cisco, British Telecom and Oracle are also not coming. The organization says that the fair is still going on. Last year, the telecom fair was supposed to take place in February, but it became the first major fair that was canceled due to the corona pandemic. In 2019 there were more than 100,000 visitors to the fair.