Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of patent trolls on the rollout of 5G networks.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and this will be achieved primarily by commercial investment from the three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate, including in the 5G sector. Through the Intellectual Property Office, government monitors the effective functioning of the patent system to ensure that incentives to innovate are maintained. The IPO recently undertook a review of the legal framework surrounding Standards Essential Patents to identify and consider how to address a number of issues, including licensing practices. The Government expects to publish a response this summer.

Regarding whether patent trolls impact the rollout of 5G networks, this is not an issue that has been raised with Government, including through the recent Mobile Market Review call for evidence which asked stakeholders for evidence on the major developments occurring across the mobile sector.