US: DOJ asks for hearing in Qualcomm antitrust case

The US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division asked a federal judge on Thursday, May 2, to hold a hearing on any possible remedies to be imposed if mobile chip supplier Qualcomm is found liable in an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported Reuters.

The FTC took Qualcomm to trial in January and is awaiting a decision in federal court in California.

The Justice Department’s filing asked Judge Lucy Koh of the US District Court of the Northern District of California to hold a hearing on any possible remedies if she finds Qualcomm liable for antitrust violations and argued that “a remedy should work as little injury as possible to other public policies,” according to the filing.

The Justice Department stated that any penalties Judge Koh might impose should not hamper the market for 5G, the next generation of mobile networks that are expected to be up to 100 times faster than current networks. The United States, China, and Korea will roll out those networks this year and next, and Qualcomm makes modem chips that allow smart phones and other devices to connect to those networks.