The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) recently published the Research Report on Global 5G Standard Essential Patents and Standard Proposals (2024), revealing significant developments in the 5G patent landscape.
As of March 31, 2024, the number of declarations for global 5G standard essential patents has exceeded 114,000, with valid global patent families surpassing 72,800. The year 2023 saw over 20,000 declarations, marking the highest annual figure for 5G standard essential patents to date.
Huawei maintains its global leadership with a 12.42% share, significantly ahead of Qualcomm (9.43%) in second place. LG (8.25%) secures third place, followed closely by Samsung (8.17%), ZTE (6.97%), Ericsson (6.86%), Nokia (6.69%), Xiaomi (4.62%), Oppo (4.36%), and Datang (3.78%).
Notably, five of the top ten companies are Chinese manufacturers, collectively accounting for 32.15% of global 5G standard essential patents. While the composition of the top ten remains unchanged from the previous year, there have been significant shifts in rankings and percentages. LG, Ericsson, and Xiaomi are the only companies to advance in rankings, with Xiaomi climbing two places and standing out as the sole Chinese company to improve its position.
Only four companies increased their percentages, with Xiaomi showing the most substantial growth among Chinese firms, rising from 4.10% to 4.62%. Commenting on this achievement, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun affirmed the company's commitment to advancing core technologies. Xiaomi's success can be attributed to its consistent, long-term investment in technology and the efforts of its dedicated 5G pre-research team in driving technological innovation.
Beyond core technologies, Xiaomi also prioritizes intellectual property protection. As of June 30, 2024, the company has been granted over 40,000 patent applications globally.
The CAICT notes that due to the interconnected nature of mobile communication technology, patents can often apply to multiple generation standards simultaneously. 5G-only patents, which exclusively include declarations for 5G standard essential patents, are considered innovations specifically targeting new 5G technology.
In the 5G-only category, Huawei leads with a 13.03% share. Other Chinese companies in the top ten include ZTE (5.98%), Xiaomi (5.36%), Oppo (5.05%), and Datang (3.88%). Xiaomi has once again improved its percentage, now trailing major telecommunications company Nokia by less than 0.3pp.
The rankings and percentages for 5G standard essential patents serve as crucial indicators of global competitive power, reflecting companies' status and influence in 5G technology. The overall data suggests that Chinese manufacturers have made substantial R&D investments in 5G technology, securing prominent positions and exerting significant influence over industry standards.
