Huawei and HP Sign Major Wi-Fi Patent Deal Despite US Technology Restrictions

Huawei and US computer giant HP have signed a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement covering Wi-Fi technology, including patents relating to the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard.

The agreement, announced on 26 August 2026, gives HP access to certain Huawei Wi-Fi patents while Huawei will receive reciprocal rights to patents held by HP.

Neither company has disclosed the financial terms of the agreement or provided full details of the patents covered.

The deal is particularly notable because Huawei has faced extensive technology restrictions from the United States since being placed on the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2019.

Those restrictions have significantly limited Huawei’s ability to obtain US-origin technology, advanced semiconductors and other components. Despite those restrictions, the Chinese technology company has continued to build a substantial international patent portfolio and licensing business.

Wi-Fi patents at the centre of the agreement

The agreement covers standard-essential Wi-Fi patents — technologies considered necessary for products to comply with established wireless standards.

These patents are particularly important to manufacturers producing computers, printers, smartphones and other connected devices because they allow products from different manufacturers to communicate using common technical standards.

Huawei has claimed a significant role in the development of Wi-Fi technology across successive generations, including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7.

The company said the new agreement demonstrates its continuing investment in research and development and its ability to license technology to companies around the world.

Huawei Chief Intellectual Property Officer Alan Fan described the agreement as a testament to the company’s continued innovation in information and communications technology.

HP says the deal is not a partnership

Despite Huawei describing the agreement as a global cross-licensing arrangement, HP has been keen to stress that the deal should not be interpreted as a new commercial partnership between the two companies.

In a statement, HP said Huawei is not a supplier to HP, and HP is not a supplier to Huawei.

The company also confirmed that it is not incorporating Huawei components or technology into its products.

HP said the agreement is instead the result of a patent dispute and represents a standard licensing arrangement involving Wi-Fi technology.

The clarification is significant given the wider political and technological tensions between the United States and China.

Deal follows patent dispute

The agreement follows a legal dispute that began in Europe in 2025.

Huawei filed proceedings against HP at the Unified Patent Court, alleging that HP was using Huawei Wi-Fi 6 technology without an appropriate licence.

HP subsequently joined the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool, which provides access to a large collection of patents considered essential to Wi-Fi 6 products.

The new cross-licensing agreement appears to resolve the wider dispute while establishing licensing arrangements covering a broader range of Huawei’s Wi-Fi patents, including Wi-Fi 7.

Huawei continues to monetise its patents

For Huawei, patent licensing has become increasingly important as US restrictions have made it more difficult for the company to access some foreign technologies.

Rather than relying solely on hardware sales, Huawei has increasingly sought to generate revenue from its intellectual property portfolio by licensing its technologies to other manufacturers.

Huawei said that more than 1.6 billion consumer electronic devices, excluding mobile phones, had used its Wi-Fi-related inventions by the end of 2025.

The company has also previously indicated that it charges around US$0.50 per consumer device using its Wi-Fi 6 technology.

A significant agreement, but not a commercial alliance

Although the agreement has attracted attention because it involves a major US technology company and Huawei, both sides have emphasised that it is fundamentally an intellectual-property licensing arrangement.

The deal does not mean HP will begin using Huawei hardware, buying Huawei components or entering into a wider strategic partnership with the Chinese company.

Instead, it highlights how important standard-essential patents have become within the technology industry.

Companies competing directly in the global hardware market can still need to license technologies from one another simply to ensure their products comply with internationally recognised standards.

For Huawei, however, the agreement also demonstrates that its intellectual property remains commercially significant internationally, despite years of US sanctions and restrictions.

For HP, the agreement provides a legal route to continue producing and selling Wi-Fi-enabled products without the uncertainty associated with lengthy patent litigation.

The financial details of the agreement remain undisclosed.