Patent portfolio

Patents are gaining more and more significance in the telecommunications industry. Our patent strategy has to keep pace with the constant evolution of market players and fields of activity. On the one hand, our Group’s scope for action must be maintained. On the other, we want to protect the results of our own research and development, and to use these in cooperation and partnership with other companies. National and international patent rights are vital for these types of activity. We are therefore strongly dedicated to developing, granting, and maintaining our own patents. In the reporting year, Deutsche Telekom held a total of 7,875 patent rights. We are firmly committed to expanding our patent portfolio, taking relevant current and future technologies into account. This will secure the value of our innovations in a dynamic world and bolster the Group’s competitiveness. We predominantly license our patents through our membership of patent pools.