Chinese tech giant Huawei and US PC maker HP signed a multi-year global patent deal on Wednesday, with HP paying Huawei a balancing fee for access to its Wi-Fi technology, including the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard. The amount was not disclosed.

"Huawei is pleased to reach this patent cross-licensing agreement with HP Inc.," said Alan Fan, the company's chief IP officer. "This agreement is a strong testament to Huawei's persistent independent innovation in cutting-edge fields in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Through patent licensing, Huawei shares its innovation with the industry, particularly in the area of standardized technologies, which brings leading technological experiences to consumers worldwide."

HP called it a routine license for widely used technology. "This is a standard-essential patent license covering Wi-Fi technology," a spokesperson said. "It is not new and does not represent a broader strategic or commercial relationship, partnership or collaboration with Huawei." Such licenses are common for makers of computers, printers, phones and other devices that connect to wireless networks.

The deal comes after Huawei sued HP at Europe's Unified Patent Court in August 2025, claiming HP used a Wi-Fi 6 patent without permission. In November 2025, HP joined the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool, a move that resolved legal claims from both Huawei and Philips. Huawei said the new agreement covers a wide range of its Wi-Fi patents, including those for Wi-Fi 7.

Despite US restrictions, Huawei remains a major force in global wireless standards. By the end of 2025, Huawei had signed over 260 patent license agreements with ICT manufacturers across the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea and other key markets – 34 of them signed in 2025 alone. More than 1.6 billion consumer electronic devices, not counting mobile phones, had used Huawei's Wi-Fi technology by the end of 2025.

Huawei's patent licensing business brought in around $630 million in 2024. HP, based in Palo Alto, is the world's second-largest PC maker with a 21.3% market share, trailing only Lenovo, according to Gartner data.

(With input from Xinhua and Reuters)