DESK REPORT: Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and US semiconductor major Qualcomm have signed a broad, multi-year patent cross-licensing agreement covering key 5G, computing, artificial intelligence, and networking technologies.
The landmark deal marks the first 5G-focused licensing arrangement between the two industry heavyweights. As part of the transaction, Qualcomm will also acquire several US-based patents from Huawei across computing, AI, and networking domains.
Because Huawei remains under stringent US trade restrictions imposed since 2019, the agreement remains subject to regulatory approval by US authorities, including the Commerce Department.
While a shared press statement released by both corporations did not disclose the monetary terms of the transaction, industry estimates reported by Reuters indicate that the completion of the deal will push the total value of Huawei’s global patent licensing portfolio past $6.9 billion.
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“Huawei’s decades of sustained investment in fundamental R&D have driven innovation and progress in mobile communications and other technology fields,” said Alan Fan, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Huawei. He noted that the agreement highlights Huawei’s contributions to standard technologies such as polar coding in 5G while acknowledging Qualcomm’s foundational role in modern telecommunications.
John Han, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing, stated that the deal “reaffirms industry recognition of Qualcomm’s 5G technology leadership and the success of Qualcomm’s 5G SEP licensing program,” while recognizing Huawei’s continued innovation across 5G and next-generation technologies.
