InterDigital, the United States-based mobile and video technology provider, remains confident about China's 5G market and about greater technological cooperation between the two countries amid the global scramble to develop and deploy the superfast telecom technology, a top company official said.
William J Merritt, president and chief executive officer of the company, said: "More Chinese companies are taking part in the global 5G standard-setting process and playing a very important role. We are all committed to the advancement of 5G and beyond 5G technology through technological research and development."
On the company's relations with China, Merritt said it was more of a blend of competition and cooperation. "We compete to come up with the best solutions. But we also realize that we're working together, as a group, to advance technology across the entire ecosystem," he said.
In April, the company signed a multiyear, worldwide, nonexclusive patent license agreement with Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. The agreement covers certain Huawei products and certain InterDigital essential patents.
The agreement was reached amid challenging circumstances given the current economic downturn brought by the COVID-19 epidemic. The economic environment created by the global pandemic has helped make the economic gaps in the negotiations smaller and easier to navigate, said Merritt.
The company said that Chinese enterprises are playing an increasingly important role in the global communications industry, including 5G. More than half the smartphones shipped around the world are from Chinese companies－the effect is obvious.
The company is willing to work with other Chinese manufacturers in setting technology standards, including 5G standards, as the unification of standards translates innovation into revenue, it said.
Source: China Daily
