Huawei and Ericsson have signed a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement that covers a broad range of technology areas, including 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular networks.
The agreement, which was finalized earlier this month, covers the respective sales of network infrastructure and endpoint devices by the two companies. It also includes patents covering a broad range of standards including the 3GPP, ITU, IEEE, and IETF standards for 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.
The agreement is said to help ensure that there are no disruptive patent disputes between Huawei and Ericsson. It also provides greater certainty for customers of both companies, who can be confident that they will be able to continue to use the products and services of both companies without interruption.
According to Huawei’s Intellectual Property Department Head, Alan Fan, the agreement cements a robust patent ecosystem. Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the accord’s symbolic strength in recognizing and honoring each other’s intellectual property.
The financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, but it is understood that there will be a net payment from one company to the other. This is likely to be from Ericsson to Huawei, as the latter has become a major player in the development of 5G technology.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.