Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

5G: Patents

Question: 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 funding for research and design in the 5G sector.

Answer: The government supports R&D in the 5G sector to boost growth and ensure secure, resilient digital infrastructure, including through the £271m Advanced Connectivity R&D Programme and the Global Coalition on Telecoms. As part of the government's focus on making the UK one of the best places to grow a technology business, the government continually monitor patent strategies to ensure the patent system is functioning effectively. Business models in which patents are bought, and then enforced against others, may be legitimate.

Secondary information