Docomo struggles to turn patents into profits in 5G race

Japanese carrier insists it is not far behind top players like Huawei

20201020N Docomo

A sign at the Tokyo Game Show 2019: NTT Docomo's 5G patents do not contribute to the company's earnings. © Reuters

AKIHIRO OTA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo on Tuesday stressed it remains a global leader on 5G technology, though the company has faced difficulty monetizing its patents related to next-generation wireless networks.

"The top six players, including Docomo, all have similar shares of around 10%," Shinsuke Ogawa, head of Docomo's intellectual property department, said at a briefing on Tuesday, citing recent findings by a Tokyo research firm.

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