Huawei and Qualcomm Announce Broad Patent License Agreement

On October 5, 2026, Huawei and Qualcomm signed a multi-year, comprehensive patent license agreement that covers cross licensing of their patent portfolios across multiple technology areas such as 5G, compute, AI, networking, and more. The agreement also involves Qualcomm purchasing certain Huawei U.S. patents in the fields of compute, AI, networking, and other technologies.

This transaction is set to finalize after obtaining the required regulatory clearances. The deal showcases the companies' shared dedication to intellectual property rights and licensing practices aligned with fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) standards. Huawei's Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Alan Fan, highlighted the company's decades-long R&D investment that has led to significant innovations in mobile communications, including 4G/5G standards.

Alan further explained that this agreement acknowledges Huawei's leadership in the mobile communications sector, driven by their contributions like the near-physical-limit signal transmission technology employing polar codes. Qualcomm's Executive Vice President and General Manager of Technology Licensing, John Han, emphasized the agreement's significance in recognizing Qualcomm's foundational role in wireless technologies and the success of their 5G SEP licensing program.

John also acknowledged Huawei's ongoing innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology domains.