Mohan Dewan, Amruta S. Deokar |
Abstract
The telecommunications industry is a cornerstone of global digital infrastructure. It has long relied on intellectual property rights, patents in particular, to safeguard innovation and assert market dominance. Patenting assumes greater strategic importance as telecom systems evolve toward high-security paradigms. Globally, the digital communication technologies account for nearly 5% of total patent filings (World Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO], 2023) ranking among the most patent-intensive sectors. The US, China, and EU have exhibited sustained growth, with firms like Huawei, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Ericsson among the foremost filers (Visvanadane, 2024). The active expansion of patent portfolios across various Indian entities including research institutions, government agencies, and private organizations, alongside multinational corporations is evident of the sector’s rising strategic significance (Clarivate Analytics, 2024). Within the telecommunication infrastructure, quantum-secured communication networks (QSCNs) are emerging as a critical technological frontier. QSCNs on implementation with methods like quantum key distribution (QKD), offer theoretically unbreakable encryption by detecting eavesdropping through quantum state disturbance (Swayne, 2025). QSCNs offer a strong promise in fortifying sensitive communication channels against forthcoming threats (quantum-computing threats in particular) in critical areas like defence, finance, and national systems. Toshiba, Huawei, IBM, and SK Telecom are among the entities actively securing intellectual property in quantum cryptography and contributing novel approaches to secure communication protocols (Marshall, 2025). Patents in this evolving landscape are not just enforceable IP rights, they act as strategic assets enabling licensing opportunities, influencing the setting of global standards, and reinforcing geopolitical technology leadership (PatentPC, 2023; Sidak, 2015). In the interface between telecom and quantum technologies, intellectual property protection remains pivotal to competitive and sovereign technological advancement.
Keywords: Quantum-Secured Communication, Quantum Key Distribution, Telecommunications Patents, Intellectual Property Strategy, Patent Landscaping, Quantum Cryptography, National Quantum Mission
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