Huawei’s 5G patents mean US will pay it despite ban

Huawei Technologies owns the most patents on next-generation 5G tech, ensuring the Chinese company will get paid despite Trump administration efforts to erase it from the supplychain, according to a new study.

The study by two research firms identified the inventions most closely connected to the 5G standards and found that six companies owned more than 80% — Huawei, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics Inc., Nokia Oyj, Ericsson AB and Qualcomm, the only US-based company in thegroup.

That may be awkward for President Donald Trump, whose administration has launched a global effort to shut out Huawei, accusing the Chinese company of being a security threat. The administration has launched a number of salvos, including a ban on the sale of any silicon made with US know-how, which is hurting the Chinese company’s aspirations togrow in cutting-edge fields.

“Even if they hire some other company to build the 5G infrastructure,they still have to pay the Chinese company because of the intellectual contribution to develop the technology,” said Deepak Syal, director of Grey B Services, a tech research firm that conducted the study with software firm Amplified AI .

Identifying how many patents a company holds — and how key they are tothe industry standards — will help determine who profits most from th enext generation of technology that promises to revolutionize developments such as autonomous cars, robotic surgery, and connected homes.