Qualcomm hit with $271M EU fine over predatory pricing of baseband chips

A long-running European antitrust investigation into whether Qualcomm used predatory pricing when selling UMTS baseband chips about a decade ago has landed the chipmaker with a fine of €242 million (~$271M) -- aka, 1.27% of its global revenue for 2018. The EU regulator concluded Qualcomm used abusive pricing to force its main rival at the time, UK-based company Icera, out of the market -- by selling certain quantities of three of its UMTS chipsets below cost to two strategically important customers: Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE. .@Qualcomm sold baseband chipsets (for mobile devices to connect to the Internet) at a price below cost to key customers.