Avanci expands 5G vehicle programme with General Motors deal
Avanci and General Motors confirm 5G licensing agreement, marking second deal between the two | The automotive giant joins BMW, Mini, and Rolls Royce licensees.
Avanci has struck a 5G vehicle licensing deal with General Motors (GM), marking the second connected vehicle agreement between the pair.
Announcing the agreement yesterday, February 13, 2024, Avanci said that the move means that 5G connected vehicles under the GM umbrella will now be licensed to use 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G standard-essential patents (SEPs) belonging to participating patent holders.
There are currently more than 60 patent holders that have signed up for Avanci's 5G vehicle programme, launched in August 2023, and future licensors will also be included in this agreement.
Other licensees in the programme include BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, and Mercedes-benz.
Participating licensors include Nokia, Fujitsu, Philips, Samsung, and Huawei.
Laurie Fitzgerald, president at Avanci Vehicle, said she was “delighted” that GM had chosen to participate in a second Avanci vehicle programme.
She described the company as one that is “dedicated to innovations that seamlessly move and connect people to what matters”.
“Since the launch of Avanci 5G vehicle in August of last year, the programme has witnessed substantial growth, encompassing more than a dozen automotive brands and over 60 licensors. This reflects the ongoing momentum for our global, one-stop solution," she added.
It follows Avanci's 4G programme, which launched in February 2023 and covers more than 150 million connected vehicles from nearly 100 automotive brands globally.
A much-anticipated launch
In August 2023, the 5G programme launched with 57 initial licensees including Ericsson, InterDigital, Qualcomm and Huawei.
In its announcement of the launch, Avanci said that the much-anticipated programme “would simplify the licensing of the cellular technologies used in next-generation connected vehicles”.
In May 2022, Avanci and GM signed a SEP licensing agreement covering a portfolio of patents deemed essential to the 2G, 3G and 4G standards.
This granted GM licences to use SEPs for connected vehicles across its brands, which include Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories sent like this straight to your inbox
