The number of declared 5G patents has exploded, rising from ~19,000 active, granted families in 2020 to over 53,000 today.

But let’s face it: declarations are easy. What’s hard is figuring out which ones are genuinely essential and who owns how many of these gems.

That’s precisely what our new 2025 5G SEP Essentiality Study does.

Here’s how we tackled it:

We mapped the whole universe of 53,493 declared 5G patent families as of December 31, 2024 (based on ETSI’s latest release).

Then, we pulled a meaningful stratified sample of patent families, representing every major contributor. While analyzing a sample has its limits, it still offers valuable insights into the broader patent landscape.

Each patent in the sample was reviewed claim-by-claim to determine true essentiality.

The results? A clear, statistical X-ray of 5G licensing power:

Only ~41% of the sample were core-essential SEPs.
The leaders holding the maximum core SEPs have changed positions.
That ratio gives us the clearest view yet of how much (or how little) declared SEPs matter – and who holds real leverage going into 2025–2026 licensing talks.
Sir/Mam, next time you’re at a licensing negotiation table for your 5G tech; no matter which side you’re dealing from – licensee or licensor – you can hold a stronger hand with this data.

Get the real (and free) picture of 5G SEP essentiality of 2025 from here – https://www.greyb.com/resources/5g-sep-report-2025/