25 Oct, 2007
Asustek Computer should free itself from any 3G chip patent disputes for upcoming 3G handsets as the company will soon ink a related licensing agreement with Qualcomm, according to industry sources.
Asustek has been extending its presence to 3G for several years, but the company and Qualcomm have not established a consensus over a possible cross-licensing as Asustek itself owns some 3G chip intellectual property (IP), the sources explained.
Despite that Asustek only started volume producing 3G handsets in late 2006, the relatively early deployment of the company in this sector has helped the company accumulate about over 90 technological innovations that are recognized by the 3GPP. More than 30 of these items may even be classed as "core IP", the sources noted.
According to estimates from the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) of Taiwan, the number of 3G patents that Asustek holds exceeds 130 in Taiwan – an amount that only Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) surpasses.
Asustek's rivals, which include BenQ and Qisda, Gigabyte Communications, High Tech Computer (HTC), Inventec Appliances and Mobinnova, have all adopted 3G solutions from Qualcomm for their handset offerings, with licensing fees reaching several million US dollars.
Asustek currently utilizes 3G solutions from Marvell and Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP).
