Sequans will retain full commercial usage rights of the technology, via a perpetual license agreement
Qualcomm is buying 4G IoT technology from French-based fabless semiconductor company Sequans Communications in an acquisition that includes “certain employees, assets and licenses.”
Sequans specializes in the design and supply of cellular semiconductor solutions for massive and critical IoT markets, and with the company’s 4G IoT technologies under its control, Qualcomm can incorporate them into its end-to-end solutions, bolstering its existing industrial IoT portfolio. “Digital transformation is being driven by high-performance processing and intelligence at the edge,” said Nakul Duggal, group general manager of automotive, industrial and embedded IoT, and cloud computing at Qualcomm. “This acquisition of Sequans’ 4G IoT technology adds to Qualcomm’s broad portfolio, further strengthening our offerings across enterprise customers of low-power solutions for reliable, optimized cellular connectivity for Industrial IoT applications.”
To get a sense of where the cellular IoT market is headed, one can look at an April ABI Research forecast that predicted 108 million IoT connections on private LTE (4G) and 5G networks in the manufacturing sector in 2030, while the transportation industry will have 71 million IoT connections on private LTE and 5G networks in the same timeframe.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Sequans will retain full commercial usage rights of the technology, via a perpetual license agreement, which the company’s CEO Georges Karam said will enable it to continue to expand 4G, while the providing “significant capital” to further invest in 5G and enterprise IoT. “We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation and providing cutting-edge 4G/5G semiconductor solutions that meet the advancing needs of AI-powered Internet of Things applications. This transaction is expected to provide us the resources and flexibility to enhance our product offerings and expand our market presence,” he added.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and French regulatory approval.
