Google refraining to attend MWC 2021 Barcelona, amid COVID-19

Google is refraining from participating in the upcoming MWC 2021 Barcelona due to the COVID-19 threat. Many others would follow the search giant.

The threats from the virus don’t seem to slow down, at least by the year-end. Although we are getting the vaccines, we are also reportedly facing new variants of the virus, which get more advanced in nature.

At the beginning of 2021, The GSMA announced plans to organize the MWC 2021 Barcelona an in-person event. Following the announcement, some exhibitors and partners said that they would not be attending the event. Google is one of them.

Announcing that the company will not attend this year’s MWC, Google said it would work with the GSMA and support its partners through virtual opportunities. The company also said that it would not attend the 2022 edition of the event as well.

Sony Mobile, Oracle, Nokia, and Ericsson have already announced that they will not attend MWC Barcelona 2021.

According to The GSMA, the number of attendees will reduce from 100,000 to 50,000. The organizing body asked attendees for a COVID-19 test, done 72 hours before the arrival. Additionally, the SOPs set for the event include a touchless registration process, mandatory masks, regular disinfection of stands, and product samples and audio-visual equipment.

MWC 2021 Barcelona is set to start on June 28 and goes until July 01, 2021.