Ericsson has become the first high profile name to pull out of attending this years Mobile World Congress event.
Reports by the publication Light Reading reveals that the telecoms firm has pulled out of the major tech event due to Covid-19 safety concerns.
In an email sent to the publication by Ericsson, the telco cited the health and well-being of its employees as the main priority.
Ericsson was one of the first big names to withdraw from MWC 2020 last year as the coronavirus began to sweep across the globe.
This led to a host of big names including Nokia, HMD Global, Amazon and Sony also pulling out before the event was eventually cancelled.
In a statement Ericsson said: “In view of the continuing impacts from Covid-19 and our primary consideration towards our people, their health and well-being, we have decided not to participate in MWC 2021.”
This year’s MWC event in Barcelona is due to take place between June 28 to July 1 and is expected to be significantly scaled down, with 40,000 to 50,000 attendees anticipated rather than the 100,000 plus in previous years.
Widespread testing and Covid-19 protocols such as wearing a mask, social distancing and a “touch-less environment” will also be enforced.