Huawei crackdown Qualcomm to pay Huawei for first time in 5G, AI patent breakthrough

Mobile chipmakers' licensing deal will need U.S. regulatory approval

Huawei first paid to license Qualcomm patents in 2001. A new cross-licensing deal, if approved, will make Qualcomm the net payer for the first time. (Source photos by Reuters)

TAIPEI -- Huawei announced Monday that rival mobile chipmaker Qualcomm would pay to use its patents for the first time, in a cross-licensing agreement covering 5G and AI technologies. The deal marks a breakthrough for the Chinese company's intellectual property portfolio but will trigger a regulatory review in the U.S.