Mobile World Congress boasts record attendance of 109,000 visitors

Barcelona's Mobile World Congress (MWC) drew to a close on Thursday, boasting a record attendance of 109,000 visitors, some 2,000 more than last year.

The world's largest fair for the mobile industry, which is held annually in the Catalan capital, this year welcomed some 2,400 exhibitors from more than 200 different countries.

The MWC 2019, which kicked off on Monday, focused primarily on smart connectivity, through the fusion of 5G, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Among the companies participating at the fair were some of the world's top tech firms, including Facebook, Google, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and LG.

Catalan contribution

At the Catalan stand, the authorities promoted a record number of 77 local companies, although in all there were over a hundred firms from Catalonia, many with their own stands.

One of the novelties presented at the fair by the Catalan authorities was a prototype ambulance that uses 5G technology to call in remote help from health specialists.

5G was also the focus of another Catalan initiative that saw surgeons from Barcelona's Clínic hospital remotely carry out an operation. Earlier in the month, the hospital became the first in Spain to adopt 5G technology to carry out operations at a distance in real time.