Intel Corp. is Auctioning Thousands of Mobile Patents for This Reason

According to an IAM report, chip maker Intel Corp. is auctioning off roughly 8,500 patents and is hoping for nonbinding bids by early next month.

The company’s portfolio includes roughly 6,000 patents that are related to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile modem standards, 1,700 patents around wireless implementation technologies and 500 patents that have “broad applicability” across the semiconductor and electronics industries, said the IAM report.

The report also said the auction will be handled by Sullivan & Cromwell and would be led by partner Nader Mousavi.

It was earlier this year that Intel decided to get out of the mobile modem business and said it was quitting the 5G market. This was when Apple settled a long running legal dispute with Qualcomm Corp. and said it would buy 5G modems from the latter company again.

According to the IAM report, Intel is launching the auction process for its wireless IP separate to its current efforts to sell its smartphone modem business. The report did say however that a prospective buyer may look to pick up both.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.