Huawei and Qualcomm today announced a multi‑year, broad patent license agreement that includes cross‑licenses to the companies’ patent portfolios across a range of technology fields, including 5G, compute, artificial intelligence (AI), and networking, together with Qualcomm’s purchase of certain Huawei U.S. patents in the areas of compute, AI, networking, and other technologies. The agreement was announced on October 5, 2026, in Shenzhen, China, and will close after the necessary regulatory approvals are obtained, according to the companies’ statement.
The announcement emphasized that the deal reflects both firms’ commitment to intellectual property rights and to licensing practices consistent with fair, reasonable and non‑discriminatory (FRAND) principles. Huawei’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Alan Fan, said, “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.” He added that the agreement “not only demonstrates the value of Huawei’s innovations, but also recognizes Qualcomm’s foundational contributions to modern communication technologies.”
Qualcomm’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing, John Han, stated, “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.” He also noted that the agreement “likewise reflects Qualcomm’s recognition of Huawei’s continued innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields.”
The FAQ accompanying the release clarified that the multi‑year, broad patent license agreement consists of two main components: first, cross licenses to the patent portfolios of Huawei and Qualcomm across 5G, compute, AI, and networking; second, Qualcomm’s purchase of certain Huawei U.S. patents in compute, AI, networking, and other technologies. Both companies said the transaction will close following receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals.
The companies noted that the agreement underscores the importance of collaborative licensing in advancing global technology standards and fostering innovation across multiple sectors.