Following the Three Major Telecoms, Samsung Electronics Also... Domestic ICT Companies Shun MWC

World's Largest Mobile Exhibition MWC
One Month Before June Event, Companies Declare Non-Participation
Following Korea's Top 3 Telecoms, Samsung Electronics Also
Replaced by Online Participation...In-Person Attendance Canceled

Domestic ICT companies, including Samsung Electronics, are withdrawing one after another from the world's largest mobile exhibition 'MWC 2021' scheduled for June this year. Photo by Samsung Electronics booth at the 2019 MWC event.

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Domestic ICT companies, including Samsung Electronics, are withdrawing one after another from the world's largest mobile exhibition 'MWC 2021' scheduled for June this year. As both domestic and global companies choose to attend online or not participate, the organizer GSMA (GSM Association) is facing increasing concerns.

According to the industry on the 11th, Samsung Electronics has decided not to participate in the MWC offline exhibition held in Barcelona, Spain, from June 28 to July 1 this year. Instead, it plans to attend only online.

MWC has been held annually in late February to early March in Barcelona, Spain, where major telecom operators and manufacturers showcase new products and services. However, last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year the event was postponed to June.

However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation this year as well, major IT companies are consecutively announcing their intention to not participate. They judge that the benefits of participation are limited while global vaccination is not yet complete.

Earlier, major overseas companies declared their non-participation early this year. Major overseas ICT companies such as Google, Nokia, Ericsson, Sony, and Oracle announced that they would not participate in this year’s MWC due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three domestic mobile carriers are also likely to be absent. Among domestic companies, KT decided at the end of last month not to participate in the offline exhibition. LG Uplus had jointly operated an offline booth with LG Electronics at MWC, but with LG Electronics withdrawing from the mobile business, they will also not participate. SK Telecom has not officially announced its position yet but is not showing any signs of preparing for the exhibition.

Samsung Electronics stated, "Considering the health and safety of employees, partners, and customers as the top priority, we have decided not to participate in the MWC offline exhibition this year." They added, "We plan to participate online to advance new mobile experiences and will continue to cooperate with GSMA and industry partners."

However, GSMA, which has expressed its intention to proceed with the event this year, has not yet released any particular statement. Recently, it disclosed a list of about 600 keynote and conference speakers. This year’s theme is 'Connected Impact,' and topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to be mainly covered.