Huawei and Qualcomm Sign Patent Deal Covering 5G, AI, and Networking
Qualcomm will also buy some of Huawei's US patents, pending regulator approval.
October 5, 2026 - 11:19 am
Huawei at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain Credit: *"Huawei" by Kārlis Dambrāns, CC BY 2.0
Huawei and Qualcomm have agreed to a multi-year patent licensing deal covering 5G, AI, computing, and networking, announced today.
“This agreement not only demonstrates the value of Huawei’s innovations but also recognizes Qualcomm’s foundational contributions to modern communication technologies,” said Alan Fan, Huawei’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer.
Under the terms of the deal, each company can use the other’s patents in these fields. Qualcomm will also acquire some of Huawei’s US patents in computing, AI, networking, and other areas; this purchase is subject to regulatory approval.
This is the first licensing agreement between the two that covers 5G, with neither company disclosing financial terms or royalty rates. Huawei expects the deal to increase its patent licensing revenue to over $6.9 billion once finalized. The company noted that its licensing business has been profitable since 2021.
The relationship between these firms has evolved over time. Huawei first made a licensing payment to Qualcomm in 2001, and Qualcomm began receiving income from Huawei a decade later through Motorola’s licenses.
“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.
Meanwhile, Huawei has invested heavily in research since 2019, when US trade restrictions limited its access to advanced chips and key software. Those restrictions do not, however, prevent patent licensing deals.
The Qualcomm agreement follows a Wi-Fi patent deal Huawei signed with HP in August, later settled as a legal dispute, according to HP.
Story by:
Ana-Maria Stanciuc, Editor-in-Chief at TNW
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