Nokia Signs New 5G Patent Deal With Samsung

Nokia has announced a new patent agreement with Samsung that is the long overdue successor to its ten year old partnership with the Korean firm. The multi-year arrangement will reportedly start on 1 January 2023. This one is a cross-licensing pact spanning over five years, beginning in a few short weeks. The agreement will include Nokia’s fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies.

Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, said: “Samsung is a leader in the smartphone industry, and we are delighted to have reached an amicable agreement with them. The agreement gives both companies the freedom to innovate, and reflects the strength of Nokia’s patent portfolio, decades-long investments in R&D and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies.”

While Nokia and Samsung did not reveal the exact terms of the deal, the two firms have been coy about it, largely opting to keep their cards close to their chests.

As is the case with most patent pacts, the details remain under wraps. But in Nokia’s case, the news is good and bad, albeit to a lesser degree than the aforementioned deal.

For instance, Nokia – a company which has not had a smartphone to its name for the past decade – will rely largely on royalties from the global handset market to cover the cost of its patent trolls. A hulking task – and a humdinger to boot – is the niggling dispute with rival vendor Ericsson over the license for the 5G requisites.