- Fighting linked to Iran conflict disrupted Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
- About 30 Israeli firms missed MWC due to airspace closures and travel issues
- Protests against Israel and US took place outside the congress center
Fighting linked to the Iran conflict reverberated far beyond the region on Monday, disrupting the start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with several Israeli firms absent and activists staging protests outside the venue.
According to an AFP report, around 30 Israeli companies were scheduled to participate in the world's largest telecoms trade fair, which is expected to draw nearly 109,000 attendees to the Catalan capital through Thursday. However, with Israeli airspace closed two days into joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, multiple exhibitors were unable to travel.
Signs at vacant booths indicated the absence of firms including AI security company DeepKeep. Nine of the 25 businesses slated to join the Israeli national pavilion were also unable to attend. "Due to the current situation, our flights... were cancelled, and we were unable to reach Barcelona," Nofar Moradian-Shiber of the Israel Export Institute told AFP.
Spanish media reported that thousands of prospective MWC attendees had cancelled as airports across parts of West Asia shut down amid the escalating conflict.
The GSMA, the telecoms association that organises MWC, sought to downplay the impact. "A small number of exhibitors, attendees and speakers... might have been affected by travel disruptions," a spokesman said, adding, "No Iranian companies were due to attend MWC this year."
Catalonia's regional president Salvador Illa described the disruption as "very limited."
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Protests, Political Reactions
Demonstrators gathered outside the congress centre, chanting "Boycott Israel, boycott USA", while calling to "decolonise technology", slogans displayed on placards. Police maintained a presence near the entrance.
Speaking at a dinner in Barcelona on Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. "You can be against a despicable regime... like the Iranian regime, and at the same time against an unjustified and dangerous military intervention," he said.
GSMA chief Vivek Badrinath also acknowledged the conflict during a panel discussion on Monday morning, stating: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by the conflict."
Tech Industry Focus Remains On AI, Satellites
Despite geopolitical tensions dominating headlines, the telecoms industry continues to press ahead with technological priorities.
Operators and space companies are accelerating efforts to roll out "direct-to-device" satellite connectivity, enabling smartphones and other gadgets to connect directly to satellites without relying on terrestrial towers.
Governments, particularly in Europe, are also pushing for greater technological sovereignty to shield digital infrastructure from geopolitical shocks.
At the same time, device makers face rising working memory (RAM) costs driven by heavy demand from tech giants expanding AI computing capacity. That could weigh on smartphone sales, which grew 1.9% last year to 1.26 billion units globally.
Manufacturers are nevertheless showcasing new innovations. Chinese brand Honor unveiled what it calls a "robot phone," featuring a camera mounted on a small robotic arm that acts as a movable head. The company said the device can nod during conversations and respond to user prompts. The phone is scheduled for launch in the second half of the year.
Chinese competitors Xiaomi and Huawei also introduced new ranges of connected devices over the weekend, including watches, headphones and tablets.
While MWC remains focused on next-generation connectivity and AI-driven hardware, the unfolding Middle East conflict has underscored how deeply geopolitics can ripple through global technology events.
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