Huawei and Qualcomm Reach Unexpected Long-Term Agreement

In an unexpected move in the technology world, Huawei and Qualcomm have announced that they have signed a long-term global agreement covering several key technology areas. Under the agreement, the companies will cross-license their intellectual property. In addition, some Huawei patents will be transferred separately to Qualcomm.

The agreement is quite broad in scope. It covers 5G communications technologies, computing architecture, artificial intelligence, and enterprise networking solutions. In addition, Qualcomm will acquire a number of patents from Huawei related to computing, artificial intelligence, and networking technologies.

The companies have not disclosed the financial terms of the deal, the exact duration of the agreement, or the total value of the patents to be transferred to Qualcomm. According to Huawei, the parties must obtain the necessary approvals from the relevant regulatory authorities before the agreement can take full effect. In other words, the agreement must still undergo standard antitrust and trade-control procedures.

The companies’ statements indicate that this is not merely a patent exchange. Qualcomm emphasized its contribution to the development of core wireless communications technologies and 5G standards. Huawei noted that it has invested in fundamental research and the development of new technologies for many years. The Chinese company specifically highlighted its research on Polar Codes. This technology is one of the key solutions used in modern mobile communications standards.