5G Network Digital Twin (NWDAF) Patent Landscape 2026
The 5G Network Digital Twin (NWDAF) patent space is highly concentrated, with Samsung Electronics commanding a dominant position among 1,162 patent families in scope. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, and publication lag understates the most recent years.
Samsung leads a tightly concentrated field with a commanding share
Samsung Electronics is the clear leader in 5G Network Digital Twin and NWDAF patenting, holding 531 patent families — nearly five times the output of the second-ranked Huawei Technologies (110 patent families). Ericsson, NVIDIA, and InterDigital round out the top five.
The top five filers account for 65% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, signaling a pronounced tier gap between the dominant player and the rest of the field. The gap between Samsung and Huawei alone is so large that no single challenger can close it quickly.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 531 | |
| 2 | Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 110 | |
| 3 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | 60 | |
| 4 | NVIDIA Corporation | 34 | |
| 5 | InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc | 33 | |
| 6 | Intel Corporation | 29 | |
| 7 | AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P | 29 | |
| 8 | Apple Inc | 27 | |
| 9 | AT&T MOBILITY II LLC | 17 | |
| 10 | IPLook Networks Co Ltd | 16 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Palo Alto Networks Inc | 14 | |
| 12 | IPLA Holdings Inc | 14 | |
| 13 | China Telecom Corporation Ltd | 14 | |
| 14 | Sempre Inc | 13 | |
| 15 | Nokia Technologies Oy | 12 | |
| 16 | Boost SubscriberCo LLC | 11 | |
| 17 | DISH Wireless LLC | 11 | |
| 18 | Qualcomm Inc | 11 | |
| 19 | Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | 11 | |
| 20 | EXFO Solutions SAS | 8 |
Samsung’s position implies deep, broad coverage across wireless network management and digital information transmission, making differentiated entry or licensing around its core claims technically demanding. Challengers such as Ericsson and NVIDIA show recent momentum that warrants monitoring.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are under-represented due to standard patent publication lag; apparent softness in 2024–2026 data should not be read as a real decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth continues, anchored by wireless and AI-analytics branches
The annual filing trend reveals a field that grew rapidly from 2018 and reached its recorded peak in 2023, while the technology composition shows wireless network management as the overwhelming center of gravity, with AI-model computing as a smaller but distinct secondary cluster.
Annual filing trend
Recorded filings rose from near zero in 2017 to a peak of 245 in 2023, reflecting rapid standardization activity around 5G NWDAF. The apparent step-down in 2024 and 2025 is consistent with publication lag and should not be interpreted as a structural decline; the field is up 57% on a recent three-year versus prior three-year comparison.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04W (wireless communication networks) and H04L (digital information transmission) jointly dominate the branch mix, as expected for a standards-heavy space. G06N (computing based on AI models) is a meaningful but much smaller branch, pointing to the analytics and machine-learning layer of NWDAF architectures. Lower-density branches such as G01S (radar, sonar and positioning) and G06F (electric digital data processing) represent adjacent surface areas with limited current coverage.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Network data analytics function (NWDAF) influencin…
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for utilizing network data analytics function (NWDAF) to influence fifth generation (5G) quality of service (QoS) configuration and adjustment. Various embodiments enable NWDA-assisted QoS provisioning, NWDA-assisted determination of policy, and NWDA-assisted QoS… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Network data analytics in a communications network | 161 |
| 2 | Spectrum access optimization including for 5G or o… | 157 |
| 3 | System, Device, and Method of Detecting, Mitigatin… | 150 |
| 4 | Network data analytics in a communications network | 115 |
| 5 | Method and apparatus for charging operations in a … | 84 |
| 6 | Apparatus, system and method to collect or generat… | 80 |
| 7 | Accelerated fifth generation (5G) new radio operat… | 75 |
| 8 | Method and device for measuring and reporting chan… | 65 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of high concentration, a Growth-stage lifecycle, and a dominant incumbent points to specific strategic considerations for teams evaluating entry, partnership, or differentiation paths.
Growth stage, but annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth, driven by a 57% increase in recent-window filings versus the prior window. Annual volume reached its recorded high in 2023 and has since eased, consistent with a field moving from rapid expansion into more selective, higher-quality filing. Publication lag means 2024–2026 data understate current activity, so the slowdown is likely less pronounced than raw counts suggest.
Lifecycle: GrowthOne dominant player; a distinct second tier follows at distance
Samsung Electronics’ 531 patent families are nearly five times Huawei’s 110 and almost nine times Ericsson’s 60, creating a steep hierarchy. The top five filers collectively hold 65% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. New entrants Ericsson and NVIDIA show recent momentum but start from a much lower base, limiting near-term competitive parity with Samsung.
HHI: Very HighAT&T entities are the most active co-filers; ecosystem co-development is otherwise limited
The most active co-filing relationship in the corpus is between AT&T Intellectual Property I L P and AT&T Mobility II LLC, with 14 jointly filed patent families, followed by AT&T Intellectual Property I L P and Interwise Co Ltd (2 families). Collaboration activity is largely intra-group for AT&T; cross-company co-development among the major wireless players is not prominent in the evidence.
Ecosystem: NascentUS leads filing destinations; PCT and EPO reflect global protection intent
The United States is the leading filing destination, followed by WIPO (PCT) and the European Patent Office (EPO), with China also representing a substantial share. India and the United Kingdom appear as secondary markets. The broad PCT and EPO presence reflects the global standards context of 5G NWDAF, where multinational protection is strategically necessary for major filers.
Lead Office: United StatesGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | AT&T移动第二有限责任公司 | 14 |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | Interwise Co Ltd | 2 |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | AT&T知识产权二部有限合伙公司 | 1 |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | AT&T TECHNICAL SERVICES CO INC | 1 |
| AT&T移动第二有限责任公司 | AT&T知识产权二部有限合伙公司 | 1 |
| AT&T移动第二有限责任公司 | AT&T TECHNICAL SERVICES CO INC | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung dominates; Ericsson and NVIDIA enter as new challengers
The leader board is defined by Samsung Electronics’ outsized portfolio and a cluster of challengers that differ sharply in trajectory — some accelerating, some contracting — across the same core wireless and analytics branches.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics holds 531 patent families, concentrated in H04W wireless network management, H04L digital information transmission, and H04W 88 device-level wireless coverage. Its recent filing momentum shows a 117% increase versus the prior period, indicating that Samsung is not only the dominant incumbent but is actively accelerating its position rather than consolidating a legacy portfolio.
families: 531Ericsson
Ericsson holds 60 patent families, with emphasis on H04L digital information transmission and H04W wireless network management. Its applicant momentum is classified as a new entrant in the recent window, suggesting that Ericsson’s current portfolio is built almost entirely in the recent period and that its NWDAF-specific activity represents a deliberate strategic pivot toward network analytics and digital twin management.
families: 60| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 310 | ▲ +117% |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 32 | ▼ -44% |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | 53 | ▲ new entrant |
| NVIDIA Corporation | 32 | ▲ new entrant |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | 9 | ▼ -50% |
| Apple Inc | 4 | ▼ -83% |
| InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc | 17 | ▲ new entrant |
| Intel Corporation | 16 | ▲ +60% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the NWDAF core
Several IPC branches appear at low density relative to the dominant H04W and H04L classes. These represent observations of relative sparsity; those with plausible technical connection to NWDAF architectures and a realistic entry path are noted below.
G06N · Computing Based on AI Models
With 120 patent-record classifications, G06N sits well below the dominant wireless branches despite AI inference being central to NWDAF’s data analytics function. The gap between AI-model patents and the wireless management core suggests that the machine-learning layer — including federated learning for network state prediction and anomaly detection — remains under-protected relative to its technical importance. Teams with AI/ML expertise could find differentiated filing opportunities here, particularly around model architectures optimized for real-time network telemetry.
Search this in Eureka →G01S · Radar, Sonar and Positioning
G01S appears in only 19 patent-record classifications in this corpus, making it the sparsest branch with a plausible technical connection to 5G digital twins — specifically for positioning-aware network optimization and radio environment mapping that feed into digital twin state models. The low count may reflect early-stage integration of sensing and positioning data into NWDAF pipelines. Entry paths could include integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) use cases where positioning data informs digital twin updates.
Search this in Eureka →Frequently asked questions
The corpus analyzed contains 1,162 patent families covering 5G Network Digital Twin and NWDAF technology on a global basis.
Samsung Electronics is the leading filer with 531 patent families, nearly five times the output of second-ranked Huawei Technologies at 110 patent families.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. Recent three-year filings are 57% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 245 recorded filings and has eased since, though data for 2024–2026 are understated by publication lag.
The United States leads filing destinations, followed by WIPO (PCT) and the European Patent Office (EPO). China is a significant secondary market. The broad PCT and EPO presence reflects the global 5G standards environment.
H04W (wireless communication networks) and H04L (digital information transmission) are by far the most densely covered branches. G06N (computing based on AI models) is a meaningful but much smaller cluster, reflecting the analytics layer of NWDAF.
G06N (AI model computing) and G01S (radar, sonar and positioning) are among the lower-density branches relative to the dominant wireless classes. G06N in particular is technically central to NWDAF’s analytics function yet relatively sparse, suggesting potential filing opportunities around machine-learning architectures for real-time network data processing.
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Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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