Huawei, Volkswagen supplier enter 4G licensing deal as US sanctions-hit telecoms giant widens business
- Huawei has agreed to license its 4G mobile technology to an undisclosed supplier of German carmaker Volkswagen
- The company expects its technology to be deployed in more than 30 million Volkswagen vehicles with wireless connectivity
The deal is Huawei’s biggest patent licensing agreement in the car industry, as its 4G mobile technology is expected to be deployed in more than 30 million Volkswagen vehicles with wireless connectivity, according to an announcement from the Shenzhen-based company on Wednesday. It did not provide the identity of the Volkswagen supplier.
Volkswagen also declined to identify the supplier, but confirmed the transaction. “This licensing in the supply chain is a model of how the increasingly close cooperation between the mobility industry and the information and communications industry can succeed,” a Volkswagen spokesman said on Wednesday in an emailed statement to the South China Morning Post.
“As an innovative company, we own a leading patent portfolio for wireless technologies, which creates great value for the automotive industry,” said Song Liuping, legal officer at Huawei, in a statement on Wednesday. “We are pleased that key players from the automotive industry recognise that value. We believe this licence [for our advanced mobile technology] will benefit consumers worldwide.”