Qualcomm will pay Huawei for patent rights under a new cross-licensing deal, reversing a relationship that began with Huawei paying Qualcomm 25 years ago.
According to Tom’s Hardware, the companies have signed a multi-year agreement covering patent portfolios across 5G, computing, AI and networking technologies. Qualcomm will also buy some of Huawei’s US patents outright, subject to regulatory approval.
The agreement makes Qualcomm a net payer to Huawei for the first time in their long licensing relationship, and the reversal reflects how far Huawei’s patent portfolio has grown since the Chinese company began licensing Qualcomm technology around 25 years ago.
By the end of 2025, Huawei held more than 165,000 active granted patents and had signed more than 260 licensing and cross-licensing agreements with major technology companies. It said 55 Fortune Global 500 companies now pay to license parts of its portfolio.
The new agreement covers standard-essential patents and other intellectual property used across mobile communications, computing and networking.
Qualcomm Technology Licensing executive vice president and general manager John Han said: “This agreement reaffirms industry recognition of Qualcomm’s 5G technology leadership and the success of Qualcomm’s 5G SEP licensing programme. The deal reflects Qualcomm’s recognition of Huawei’s continued innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields.”
Huawei chief intellectual property officer Alan Fan said years of research had helped establish the company as a significant contributor to 4G and 5G standards.
“This agreement not only demonstrates the value of Huawei’s innovations, but also recognises Qualcomm’s foundational contributions to modern communication technologies,” Fan said.
The deal includes Qualcomm’s purchase of selected Huawei US patents covering computing, AI, networking and other technologies. That part of the transaction still requires regulatory approval.
The agreement comes as Huawei continues to operate under extensive US trade restrictions, which have pushed the company to develop more of its own processors, software and communications technology. Its growing patent arsenal gives Huawei another revenue stream from technologies used by companies operating outside China, including firms whose products Huawei itself may be restricted from buying.
