QUALCOMM Incorporated announced that it has signed a license agreement for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) with NEC Corporation. QUALCOMM has granted NEC a worldwide license under QUALCOMM’s CDMA patent portfolio to develop, manufacture and sell third-generation (3G) WCDMA and TD-SCDMA ASICs products. Under the terms of the agreement, NEC will pay QUALCOMM an up-front license fee and ongoing royalties as NEC begins selling WCDMA or TD-SCDMA ASICs. The agreement does not cover ASICs for other standards, including cdmaOne™ and CDMA2000 1X.

"This agreement with NEC represents further evidence of the strength of our patent portfolio and its applicability to WCDMA as well as TD-SCDMA," said Steve Altman, executive vice president and president of QUALCOMM Technology Licensing. "We welcome NEC as a new ASIC licensee and hope that NEC’s participation will help expand the global third-generation CDMA market."

"NEC has great respect for QUALCOMM’s CDMA patent portfolio and recognizes that it is essential for the development of third-generation CDMA products," said Hidetoshi Kosaka, general manager, Network System LSI Development Division, NEC Electron Devices. "NEC looks forward to expanding its product offering for the global 3G market with ASIC solutions, and continuing to work with QUALCOMM on accelerating the growth of 3G CDMA."