GSMA may meet on Feb 14 to discuss canceling MWC 2020 over the coronavirus

Canceling could lead to a loss of 492 million euros.

mwc-2018-fira.jpg?itok=0p3IDFb3

What you need to know

  • The GSMA body that organizes Mobile World Congress is reportedly meeting on February 14, 2020, to discuss canceling the conference.
  • Fears of the coronavirus outbreak have already caused many companies such as Amazon, LG, NVIDIA, Vivo, and more to drop out of the event.
  • MWC was expected to bring in over 110,000 attendees this year.

Each year the most influential names in the mobile industry head to Mobile World Congress to show off their latest tech and launch new products. However, leading up to the convention this year, many big-named companies have dropped out over fears of the coronavirus outbreak.

It seems as if every day we learn of a new company or companies that have decided to pull out of the event. So far, the lengthy list includes companies such as, Amazon, LG, NVIDIA, Sony, Vivo, and more. Just this morning, Intel and MediaTek joined the list by announcing plans to withdraw from MWC 2020 as well. With the event scheduled for the end of February, the list is sure to continue growing.

At this point, many are starting to wonder, why even have a Mobile World Congress at all? Without the presence of some of the biggest names in tech, it won’t be much of a conference. Not to mention, many attendees may opt to stay home over fears of catching the coronavirus.

In fact, there is a very real possibility MWC 2020 could be scrapped this year entirely. According to La Vanguardia, the GSMA body that organizes MWC will reportedly hold a meeting on February 14, 2020, to discuss whether or not Mobile World Congress should be canceled. However, the GSMA has not officially announced this and has no official comment on the meeting.

That’s a big deal for a conference which hosted 109,000 visitors in 2019 coming from 198 different countries. In 2020, MWC was expecting to bring in even more visitors, with estimates of attendance exceeding over 110,000 this year. Canceling the convention would also lead to substantial financial losses estimated at 492 million euros or around $537 million.

However, with companies dropping out like flies and the risk of spreading the coronavirus further, MWC may have no choice but to cancel or reschedule for 2020.

Coronavirus: Best Online Resources and How Your Smartphone Can Help

Related posts

Latest posts

News Weekly: Alphabet’s earnings soar, new Zenfone Ultra, and more

This week we got a glimpse of how Alphabet faired this recent quarter, Zenfone 12 Ultra launches, Nothing teased yet

How to Watch Super Bowl LIX Free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV

Super Bowl LIX kicks off this Sunday, February 9. In the U.S., the game will be streaming for free in

2025 is going to be another big year for commercial moon missions

As soon as late February, a lunar lander will depart from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on its way to the

2025 is going to be another big year for commercial moon missions

As soon as late February, a lunar lander will depart from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on its way to the

You can officially download the TikTok app again on Android phones

TikTok is still absent from the Google Play Store. But the company is now letting users download the app officially on their Android phones.

I like the Galaxy S25 Ultra far more than I expected to

Samsung’s newest flagship has finally landed in stores and it would be easy to look at the as nothing more than an iterative upgrade that brings a few small upgrades to the table. However, as Andy covered in our , to do so would be to do a disservice to the overall experience. While reviewing […]

This adorable Noctua cooler completely transformed my gaming PC

I invested $60 in this tiny Noctua cooler, and it's made my small form factor gaming PC so much better.

Samsung’s ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge might get a monster camera

As per fresh leak, Galaxy S25 Edge will match the Galaxy S25 Ultra by serving a 200-megapixel camera, despite being the thinnest phone in Samsung's portfolio.

Spigen just accidentally leaked iPhone SE 4 renders

Case manufacturer Spigen has uploaded renders of the iPhone 4 SE (inside a case) to its website, and these renders line up with earlier leaks.

Fiio’s BTR13 is a budget DAC that lets you easily upgrade your phone audio

The BTR13 brings upgraded audio while still retaining the same focus on value.