Chinese communications equipment giant Huawei announced on Dec. 21 that it will allow peripheral equipment maker Buffalo (in Nagoya) to use its Wi-Fi technology patents. Huawei has been excluded from U.S. business because of its ties with the Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army, and the Chinese company’s intention behind the agreement likely is to play up the company’s cooperative stance.

According to Huawei, the patents in question involve the most advanced version of Wi-Fi 6. This is the first time for Huawei to permit a non-Chinese company to use the patents. Buffalo will pay royalties to Huawei. 

Huawei boasts the largest number of patents related to Wi-Fi 6 and is already selling products in Japan. “We cannot advance the industry alone,” said a Huawei employee involved in the matter.

The United States and European nations are moving to exclude Huawei from the 5-G network. “We signed a general license agreement,” said a person at Buffalo’s public relations office. “No products will change hands, and we don’t anticipate any security risks.”