Qualcomm announced a five-year patent licence agreement with LG Electronics to develop, manufacture and sell 3G, 4G and 5G devices, building on a long-standing relationship between the pair.

In a statement, Qualcomm said the patent licence will cover 5G-single-mode and multi-mode devices, as well as 3G and 4G phones, and the agreement is “consistent with Qualcomm’s established global licensing terms”.

News of the agreement comes shortly after the companies’ relationship was rocked by a legal spat, which threatened to impact the South Korean vendor’s device business.

LG said in June it was negotiating a chip supply and patent licence deal with Qualcomm during a time in which the chip giant was being probed by the Federal Trade Commission over engaging in anticompetitive practices.

LG said Qualcomm tried to put the case on hold as it negotiated terms, and the electronics maker argued that a delay meant it would be forced into signing a deal on less favourable terms.

However, the issues appear to have been resolved.

John Han, SVP and general manager at Qualcomm, said its deal with LG “reaffirms” the company’s world-class patent portfolio.

“Qualcomm is the developer and enabler of foundational technologies for the wireless industry and is the leader in the transition to 5G,” he stated.