EU Fines Chipmaker Qualcomm $271 Million for 'Predatory' Pricing

EU had earlier fined the chipmaker $1.13 billion in January 2018.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 18 July 2019 18:14 IST

The EU hit US chipmaking giant Qualcomm with an antitrust fine of EUR 242 million ($271 billion) Thursday, in another blow against a tech titan that is fighting competition battles in Asia and the US.

The fine is the second mega penalty levelled against Qualcomm by Brussels, which already fined the chipmaker EUR 997 million in January 2018.

"Our investigation found that Qualcomm abused (its market) dominance between mid-2009 and mid-2011 by engaging in predatory pricing," an EU statement said.

Advertisement

The chips in question in the EU case "are key components so that mobile devices can connect to the Internet,"  EU antitrust commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

"Qualcomm sold these products at a price below cost to key customers with the intention of eliminating a competitor," she added.

The EU said that Qualcomm sold the chipsets to Chinese giants Huawei and ZTE, strategic Qualcomm customers, "with the intention of eliminating Icera, its main rival at the time".

Advertisement

Icera was acquired in May 2011 by the US technology company Nvidia, which decided in 2015 to liquidate the business concerned by the Commission's investigation.

The blow against Qualcomm comes after a US court ruled in May that the firm "strangled competition" and must renegotiate price deals in a case with major implications for the smartphone market.

Advertisement

The EU competition enforcer has the power to fine companies up to 10 percent of their global sales which stood at $22.73 billion for Qualcomm in 2018. 

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Further reading: Qualcomm
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Date Surfaces Ahead of Unpacked Event
  2. Google Pixel 10a Spotted With Familiar Design in Leaked Renders
  3. Sankranthiki Vasthunam Now Available for Streaming on Zee5 and Amazon Prime Video
  4. iPhone 18 Could Launch With Brighter Display, BOE May Lose Supplier Role
  5. Apple Might Be Developing an AI Pin and Robotic Home Hub
  6. OnePlus Nord 6 Arrives on Geekbench With These Key Specifications
  7. Top Deals on Soundbars From Sony, JBL, Sonos, More During the Amazon Sale
  8. Sony LinkBuds Clip Launched With Open-Ear Design at This Price
  9. Bait OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Riz Ahmed Comedy Series Online?
  10. Realme Neo 8 Pricing and Memory Configurations Leaked Ahead of Launch
  1. Spotify Lawsuit Led to Court Order That Cut Off Anna’s Archive Domains, Court Documents Show
  2. Thadayam OTT Release Details Revealed Online: Know Everything About This Upcoming Crime Thriller Series
  3. Aadukalam Streaming on SunNXT: Know Everything About Plot, Cast, and More
  4. WWE Unreal Season 2 Now Streaming on Netflix: Know Everything About Cast, Plot, and More
  5. Sankranthiki Vasthunam Now Available for Streaming on Zee5 and Amazon Prime Video
  6. Apple Is Reportedly Developing a Camera-Fitted AI Pin, Home Hub With Robotic Base
  7. Bait OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Riz Ahmed Comedy Series Online?
  8. Sony LinkBuds Clip Launched With Open-Ear Design, Up to Nine Hours of Battery Life: Price, Features
  9. Ubisoft Splits Into Five Creative Units, Cancels Six Games as Part of 'Major Reset'
  10. Vivo V70 FE Listed on TDRA Certification Website; Could Launch in the UAE Soon
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.