BARCELONA: A scaled-back version of the world's biggest mobile telecommunications fair got underway on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) in Spain under tight virus controls with top firms avoiding an in-person presence after the pandemic derailed last year's edition. People lined up outside a testing site at the congress throughout the day to determine if they could be allowed in. Organizers have limited attendance to 50,000 as part of virus control measures, compared with a normal attendance of around 100,000. The fair occupies just three halls of the congress center this year, compared to eight in the past, with hand sanitizer dispensers distributed throughout the site. Many major firms like Samsung, the world's top smartphone maker, Nokia, Google and Facebook have pulled out of the in-person event, citing virus concerns although some will take part virtually.

Source: Manila Times June 29, 2021 17:09 UTC