Samsung joins Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool as licensor and licensee

Samsung Electronics has joined the Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool as both a licensee and a licensor, expanding the programme's patent offering and validating it as a solution for derisking Wi-Fi implementation. The agreement ends litigation in the Eastern District of Texas between Samsung Electronics and Wilus. The Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool covers both Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 standard essential patents and serves as the successor to the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool.

Programme Participants

Since its public launch in January 2026, the pool has attracted several major technology companies. ASUS, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft and Sony Group Corporation have become licensees. The list of licensor/licensee companies includes Huawei, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung Electronics and ZTE. Other licensors participating in the programme are KPN, Mitsubishi Electric, Orange, Aegis 11 SA, SK Telecom and Wilus.

Strategic Impact

"Having Samsung Electronics join as a licensor and licensee is a major milestone for the Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool," says Nick Webb, Sisvel’s Executive Head of Licensing. He noted that the pool solution has proven effective in preventing and solving Wi-Fi-related patent disputes. Sisvel Chief IP Officer Heath Hoglund added that Samsung's participation represents significant validation of the programme across multiple product categories, providing licensing clarity to implementers.

Historical Context

The Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool is the successor to the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool. Over a three-year period under the previous programme, agreements were closed with 40 companies, including Acer, Netgear, Cisco and HP. The current pool aims to offer an efficient way to access essential Wi-Fi rights for the future.

Samsung Electronics Co. is accelerating the launch of its first semiconductor fabrication plant in Yongin to 2029, moving up the timeline by one to two years as demand for AI memory chips continues to surge. The company now plans to begin operations at the facility, located south of Seoul, in 2029 instead of the previously expected 2030-2031 timeframe. A Samsung spokesperson confirmed the company intends to start operations at the facility "one to two years" ahead of its original plan. The acceleration aligns with South Korea's broader strategy to double its memory chip production capacity within the next five years, supported by government measures to reduce regional economic disparities.

Financial Performance

The expansion strategy follows preliminary financial results for the April-to-June period, which underscore the strength of the semiconductor sector. Samsung estimated its operating profit for the second quarter at 10.44 trillion won, a staggering 1,800% increase from 0.67 trillion won a year earlier. Revenue rose to 74 trillion won, compared with 74.07 trillion won in the same period last year. These figures mark one of the company's strongest quarterly showings and a sharp turnaround from the prior year's performance.

Metric	Q2 Current Year	Q2 Previous Year
Operating Profit (trillion won)	10.44	0.67
Revenue (trillion won)	74	74.07

AI Memory and Market Position

Samsung's chip division has been driving the vast majority of group profit, powered by an AI-fueled scramble for memory that has sent DRAM and NAND prices sharply higher. The company recently became the first in the world to surpass $1 billion in HBM4 revenue, according to Goldman Sachs. HBM (high-bandwidth memory) feeds Nvidia's AI accelerators. The market structure amplifies this trend, with Samsung, Micron Technology Inc., and South Korea's SK Hynix controlling roughly 85% of the memory market.

Valuation and Outlook

Goldman Sachs raised its 2026–2028 EPS estimates and kept its 12-month target of 480,000 won on the common shares, implying about 62% upside from the July 7 close. Despite printing record profit, the stock trades at about 5.3 times forward earnings, versus a long-run average near 14 times. The market is quietly pricing in that the boom fades, a fear rooted in memory's brutal history of boom-and-bust cycles. Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research, described structural demand with an 18-to-24-month order backlog, placing the AI buildout in only its "third inning."