Qualcomm revealed it was the subject of a European Commission (EC) competition investigation related to the sale of 5G equipment, with a potential penalty of 10 per cent of annual revenue or business restrictions if found guilty.

Alongside its latest financial report, the company said it received a request for information from the EC as part of an ongoing probe into whether Qualcomm misused its market position in the 5G baseband processor market to gain an unfair advantage in selling RF front-end kit.

Qualcomm said it was in the process of responding to the request, but emphasised it believes its business practices do not violate European Union competition rules.

In a stock market filing it added “it is difficult to predict the outcome of this matter or what remedies, if any, may be imposed by the EC,” adding a sizeable fine or injunctions on activities could be imposed.

This is not the first time Qualcomm faced EC scrutiny, with huge fines levied on the company in the last two years, though these are being appealed.

In 2019, it was penalised €242 million for breaches related to 3G technology dating back to 2010 and was also hit with a massive €997 million charge following an investigation into its dealings with Apple.

Qualcomm maintains its innocence in both cases.