Virus fears play out ahead of shrinking global tech event

People walking past posters announcing the Mobile World Congress 2020 in a conference venue in Barcelona, Spain. Facebook, US tech giants Cisco Systems and Intel, the US wireless companies AT&T and Sprint and the Chinese smartphone maker Vivo said Feb 11 that they have pulled out of the tech show. — AP

LONDON: The impact on travel and commerce from the viral outbreak in China is playing out ahead of one of the world's biggest technology fairs.

Facebook, US tech giants Cisco Systems and Intel, the US wireless companies AT&T and Sprint and the Chinese smartphone maker Vivo said Feb 11 that they have pulled out of the Mobile World Congress, which is to take place Feb 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain. They join a host of other major communications and tech companies that have withdrawn.