Electronic communications get people closer to each other. With the deployment of the next-generation mobile networks communications of people and even machines and things get to yet another level. Still, health concerns may halt technology advancements. Recently, two events prove that: cancellation of top event Mobile World Congress due to coronavirus; and Switzerland putting 5G rollout on halt due to health concerns.
Mobile World Congress is one of the top events in the industry taking place annually in Barcelona. Not this February, however. The organiser, the GSMA Association, cancelled the congress. The decision came after several really big players had said they would not participate due to fear from coronavirus.
Due to concerns that employees or visitors could get infected with the virus, the big names such as Nokia, Ericsson or Deutsche Telekom, gave up exhibiting in Barcelona for now, reported Telecompaper. The costs of the cancellation are estimated at half a billion euros.
Switzerland is another example. After some cantons put 5G rollout on halt, now the authorities extend the moratorium to the whole federation. The reason: health concerns over radiation emissions. The Swiss environmental agency Bafu sent letters to the cantonal governments end of January, which in practice halt 5G rollout, reported Financial Times. What Bafu said was that it would examine exposure through adaptive 5G antennae in depth. And that will need some time.
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