6G O-RAN Open Interfaces Patent Landscape 2026
Samsung Electronics holds an unusually dominant position in 6G O-RAN and open interfaces patenting, with the field still expanding on a multi-year basis even as annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. WIPO (PCT) is the leading filing route, reflecting an early-stage global technology race where applicants are reserving international options.
Samsung leads a highly concentrated field with a commanding share of the top-100 filers
Samsung Electronics is the clear leader with 138 patent families, more than nine times the count of the second-ranked applicant AT&T Intellectual Property (15 patent families). The top five filers together account for 89% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, signalling an exceptionally concentrated competitive structure at this early stage.
The tier gap between Samsung and the remaining players is substantial. After AT&T Intellectual Property at rank two, Intel and Huawei are tied at seven patent families each, and Jio Platforms holds four — underscoring how sharply the ranking drops off after the first two positions.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 138 | |
| 2 | AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P | 15 | |
| 3 | Intel Corporation | 7 | |
| 4 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 7 | |
| 5 | Jio Platforms Limited | 4 | |
| 6 | Boost Subscriberco LLC | 3 | |
| 7 | AT&T MOBILITY II LLC | 3 | |
| 8 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) | 2 | |
| 9 | Jio Platforms Limited | 2 | |
| 10 | Rakuten Mobile Inc. | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Medicaps University | 1 | |
| 12 | DISH Wireless LLC | 1 | |
| 13 | Nokia Technologies Oy | 1 | |
| 14 | Vardhaman College of Engineering | 1 | |
| 15 | Shanghai Kuchao Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 16 | NEC Corporation | 1 | |
| 17 | Rakuten Symphony USA LLC | 1 | |
| 18 | Ms. Ritu Bhadauria | 1 | |
| 19 | InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. | 1 | |
| 20 | NIMS University Rajasthan | 1 |
Samsung’s scale implies it has already built broad freedom-to-operate across the core wireless-network and digital-transmission branches, which will create licensing leverage as standards solidify. All other players remain in early position-building mode, leaving the competitive structure highly asymmetric.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are under-represented due to typical patent publication lag; current activity is likely higher than the raw counts suggest. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Rapid multi-year growth from a near-zero base, dominated by wireless-network and transmission classes
Filing activity was negligible before 2019 and surged sharply through 2022–2023, confirming the field is still in an early-growth phase on a multi-year basis. The technology mix is anchored in wireless-network protocols and digital-transmission management, with AI-model computing appearing as a small but notable secondary cluster.
Annual filing trend
Filings were effectively zero in 2017–2018, then stepped up from 2019 onward and accelerated strongly in 2022 (41 families) and 2023 (53 families). The 2023 figure represents the recorded peak; 2024 and 2025 counts are still accruing due to publication lag and should not be read as a sustained decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04W (wireless communication networks) and H04L (digital information transmission) are the dominant IPC classes, reflecting the protocol-layer focus of O-RAN interface standardisation. G06N (AI models) and G06F (digital data processing) appear at lower shares, signalling early but real activity at the AI-RAN intersection.
↗ 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.
Methods and apparatus for front haul overhead redu…
The present disclosure relates to a 5G communication system or a 6G communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4G communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for front-haul overhead reduction in a distributed base station. The method comprises estimating a channel in the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sixth generation (6G) system architecture and func… | 8 |
| 2 | Sixth generation (6G) system architecture and func… | 6 |
| 3 | Method and apparatus for providing user consent in… | 6 |
| 4 | System model and architecture for mobile integrate… | 6 |
| 5 | Method and apparatus for providing user consent in… | 5 |
| 6 | Facilitating mobility as a service in fifth genera… | 5 |
| 7 | Multi-access edge computing (MEC) | 4 |
| 8 | 通信系统中用于支持机器学习或人工智能技术的方法和装置 | 3 |
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, rapid multi-year growth, and broad geographic filing routes shapes where new entrants can realistically build positions. Four structural factors stand out.
Growth stage — expanding on a multi-year basis, past its 2023 annual peak
The lifecycle evidence shows the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, with a 688% jump in the recent three-year window versus the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since, though publication lag understates recent activity. The window for early positioning is still open but narrowing as Samsung’s portfolio deepens.
Growth phaseExtreme single-player dominance at the top; long tail of one-family filers
The top five filers hold 89% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, and Samsung alone accounts for 138 patent families against an entire field of 190 patent families in scope. Below the top two, most applicants hold one to seven patent families, meaning the competitive tier below AT&T Intellectual Property is genuinely open for consolidation.
Highly concentratedLimited co-filing observed; AT&T entities are the only identified co-applicant pair
The only recorded co-applicant collaboration is between AT&T Intellectual Property and AT&T Mobility II LLC, with three joint filings — reflecting intra-group coordination rather than cross-industry alliances. The absence of broad multi-party co-filing suggests the ecosystem has not yet formed the standardisation-driven consortia typically seen at later stages of wireless-technology development.
Low co-filingWIPO PCT leads; Europe and the US are the primary national-phase targets
WIPO (PCT) is the leading filing office at 66 records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 48 and the United States at 35, consistent with applicants preserving broad international options early. India at 16 records is a notable entry, reflecting Jio Platforms’ domestic filing activity. China sits at 13 records, surprisingly low given Huawei’s overall presence in cellular standards.
PCT-led globalGo 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 | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung dominates wireless-network protocols; challengers cluster in transmission management and services
The two-tier structure is stark: Samsung has built a portfolio more than nine times larger than any other applicant, while AT&T and a set of new entrants are staking out narrower, complementary positions. Momentum data shows most ranked players entered or escalated activity only in the recent window.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung holds 138 patent families and is classified as a new entrant in momentum terms, meaning its entire portfolio was built in the recent filing window — a sign of deliberately rapid, concentrated investment rather than incremental accumulation. Its technology emphasis sits firmly in H04W 88 (wireless network architecture), H04W 92 (inter-node interfaces), and H04L 41 (network management and configuration), which maps directly to the O-RAN interface stack. This breadth across both the air-interface and management-plane layers positions Samsung to assert essential-patent claims as 6G O-RAN specifications mature.
patent families: 138AT&T Intellectual Property
AT&T Intellectual Property holds 15 patent families, the second-largest count, but its momentum trend shows a 75% decline in recent filings versus the prior period — indicating that its position reflects earlier activity rather than current investment. Its technology focus spans H04W 88 (wireless network architecture), H04W 72 (resource management), and H04B 7 (antenna/transmission), suggesting an operator-centric view of open interfaces rather than a device or infrastructure-vendor perspective. The declining momentum may reflect a strategic shift toward licensing or standards participation over continued organic filing.
patent families: 15| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 105 | ▲ new entrant |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | 3 | ▼ -75% |
| Intel Corporation | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jio Platforms Limited | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| DISH Wireless LLC | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| AT&T移动第二有限责任公司 | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches at the AI, processing, and signalling edges of 6G O-RAN
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant wireless-protocol core show materially lower filing density. These observations reflect relative sparsity and should be evaluated against technical fit and entry feasibility before treating them as investment targets.
G06N · AI and machine-learning models applied to O-RAN
G06N accounts for just 11 records at a 3% share of the technology composition, despite the clear technical relevance of AI-driven RAN intelligence controllers (RICs) to O-RAN architecture. Most cited patents in the corpus reference AI and ML integration, suggesting the commercial importance is recognised but the dedicated patent position is thin. An entrant with AI-RAN inference, model deployment, or xApp/rApp optimisation capabilities could occupy this branch with relatively limited prior-art density to navigate.
Search this in Eureka →H04B · Physical-layer and antenna transmission in open interfaces
H04B (transmission general) holds 22 records at a 7% share — the third-largest branch but still sparse relative to the dominant H04W and H04L clusters. Its presence in the corpus mainly reflects Ericsson’s and AT&T Mobility’s narrower filings on antenna and channel aspects. Physical-layer open interfaces — including fronthaul compression, beamforming coordination across disaggregated units, and THz channel modelling relevant to 6G — remain lightly covered, offering a plausible entry path for antenna specialists or chipset vendors.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H04W 88 · Wireless communication networks | H04L 41 · Digital information transmission | H04W 92 · Wireless communication networks | H04W 76 · Wireless communication networks | H04W 8 · Wireless communication networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 90 | Strong · 46 | Strong · 54 | Moderate · 42 | Moderate · 36 |
| AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Strong · 12 | Emerging · 2 | Emerging · 1 | Moderate · 3 | Moderate · 3 |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 6 | Absent | Emerging · 1 | Absent | Strong · 4 |
| Intel Corporation | Strong · 4 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| AT&T Mobility II LLC | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 3 |
| DISH Wireless LLC | Moderate · 1 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Jio Platforms Limited | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence corpus contains 190 patent families in scope, spanning filings from 2019 through 2026 across all major jurisdictions.
Samsung Electronics is the clear leader with 138 patent families, more than nine times the count of the second-ranked filer, AT&T Intellectual Property, which holds 15 patent families.
Yes, on a multi-year basis. The field recorded a 688% increase in the recent three-year filing window versus the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 53 families and has eased since, but the most recent years are further understated by publication lag.
WIPO (PCT) leads at 66 records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 48, the United States at 35, India at 16, and China at 13. The PCT-first pattern reflects applicants preserving global options at an early stage of standards development.
H04W (wireless communication networks) and H04L (digital information transmission) dominate the corpus. H04B (transmission general), G06N (AI/ML computing), and G06F (digital data processing) appear at lower but notable shares, with G06N signalling early AI-RAN intersection activity.
G06N (AI and machine-learning models) at 11 records and H04B (physical-layer transmission) at 22 records are the most sparsely covered adjacent branches relative to their technical relevance. AI-driven RAN intelligence controllers and physical-layer fronthaul aspects for disaggregated 6G architectures are particularly lightly covered.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
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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