Samsung Electronics has been ranked first in the number of granted patents for 5G according to a study officially commissioned by the German BMWi – Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

In the report, “Fact-finding study on patents declared to the 5G standard”, Samsung topped the list of global companies with the number of granted patent families for 5G, and with the number of patent families filed at least in Europe, the U.S., or the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The study was jointly done by Technical University of Berlin and IPlytics, a German research firm that specializes in intellectual property rights in January.

5G patents are granted to technologies that enable 5G-based services, and they serve as a key indicator of who is leading the pack in terms of 5G research and development.

In particular, Samsung holds 2,633 declared 5G patent families filed at least at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), or the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and 1,728 5G patent families granted by at least one of the patent offices above. The study revealed that Samsung leads in the number of granted patents that are enforceable, which means Samsung’s patents are officially acknowledged for its exclusive right.

“These figures on 5G patents are the result of our continued and unrelenting commitment to 5G innovation,” said Sunghyun Choi, Senior Vice President and head of Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research. “Based on our leadership in 5G patents, we will continue to advance 5G and spearhead the development of next generation telecommunication technologies that will transform our daily lives in future.”