Qualcomm and Huawei have announced a multi-year patent license agreement covering cross licenses to their respective patent portfolios across 5G, compute, artificial intelligence (AI) and networking technologies. The agreement also includes Qualcomm’s purchase of certain Huawei U.S. patents covering compute, AI, networking and other technologies.
The companies said the agreement reflects their commitment to intellectual property rights and licensing practices consistent with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principles. The patent license agreement will close after the necessary regulatory approvals are received.
Agreement Covers 5G, AI and Networking Patents
The patent license agreement provides the companies with cross-licensing rights across a range of technology fields while also covering Qualcomm’s purchase of selected Huawei U.S. patents. The transaction brings together intellectual property developed by both companies across mobile communications and other technology areas.
Key elements of the agreement include:
- Multi-year cross licenses covering the companies’ patent portfolios
- Technology areas including 5G, compute, AI and networking
- Qualcomm’s purchase of certain Huawei U.S. patents
- Licensing practices aligned with FRAND principles
Qualcomm said the arrangement reinforces the importance of its 5G technology and standards-essential patent (SEP) licensing programme. Huawei also highlighted its long-term research and development contributions to mobile communications and its role in 4G and 5G standards.
“Qualcomm has invested in foundational wireless technologies that have enabled successive generations of mobile innovation and earned broad recognition across the global wireless industry. This agreement reaffirms industry recognition of Qualcomm’s 5G technology leadership and the success of Qualcomm’s 5G SEP licensing program,” said John Han, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing. “This agreement likewise reflects Qualcomm’s recognition of Huawei’s continued innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields.”
The companies said the patent license agreement also recognizes the value of their respective intellectual property portfolios across modern communications and computing technologies.
Regulatory Approval Required Before Closing
The patent license agreement remains subject to necessary regulatory approvals before the transaction can close. Until those approvals are received, Qualcomm’s purchase of the specified Huawei U.S. patents should not be described as completed.
The broader arrangement covers intellectual property relevant to several technology areas:
- 5G mobile communications
- Compute technologies
- Artificial intelligence
- Networking technologies
Huawei said its investment in fundamental research has contributed to advances in mobile communications and 4G and 5G standards, including polar code technology for signal transmission.
“Huawei’s decades of sustained investment in fundamental R&D have driven innovation and progress in mobile communications and other technology fields. Huawei’s broad contributions to the 4G/5G standards, such as the near-physical-limit signal transmission technology using polar codes, have established Huawei’s leadership in the mobile communications industry, and continuously transformed the way people communicate and live,” said Alan Fan, Huawei’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer. “This agreement not only demonstrates the value of Huawei’s innovations, but also recognizes Qualcomm’s foundational contributions to modern communication technologies.”
The patent license agreement reflects the companies’ broader recognition of each other’s intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields. The transaction will proceed to closing once the required regulatory approvals have been obtained.