NTT Docomo forged a standard-essential patents deal with Samsung Electronics, which will pay the Japan-based operator a licensing fee for its IP portfolio which covers 5G technology.

The operator cited a survey ranking it fourth in the world with a 9 per cent share of 5G standard-essential patents, behind Samsung, Qualcomm and LG.

In December 2022, the operator granted a licence to Lenovo covering wireless standard-essential patents.

Docomo filed 1,079 patent applications in Japan in fiscal 2021, up 20.4 per cent from the year earlier. The percentage covering 5G patents increased to 78 per cent from 69 per cent during that period.

It added it holds some 10,000 standard-essential patents for mobile communications which it licenses to more than 80 companies through patent pools as well as bilateral agreements.

Financial terms of the new deal with Samsung were not disclosed.