Lemko Corporation Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against AT&T
Schaumburg, Illinois, March 17, 2025 – Lemko Corporation, a pioneer in Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against AT&T (Case No. 2:25-cv-00305) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges that AT&T is unlawfully utilizing Lemko’s patented mobile network innovations, which are designed to significantly reduce both deployment and operational costs of mobile broadband networks.
Lemko’s groundbreaking approach involves virtualizing network functions through software deployed on off-the-shelf servers located at the network’s edge, near the radio access network. This methodology not only simplifies the deployment of mobile cores but also reduces operational expenses by minimizing backhaul resource requirements. Notably, Lemko introduced its “Distributed Mobile Architecture” software seven years prior to the mobile industry’s acknowledgment of the benefits of NFV in the ETSI white paper published in October 2012. Since then, the industry has widely adopted NFV, transitioning network functions to software-based solutions operating on standard servers.
Brian Ponte, Lemko’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, commented on the situation: “We presented our network solution to AT&T and sought a partnership for several years. AT&T confirmed that our technology met the goals of the ETSI white paper and was already commercially deployed.” Despite this acknowledgment, AT&T declined to enter into a commercial relationship with Lemko and, according to the lawsuit, chose to willfully infringe upon Lemko’s patents. This lawsuit underscores Lemko’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property and addressing unauthorized use of its innovative technologies.
Lemko is represented by Paul Andre, Lisa Kobialka, James Hannah, and Aaron Frankel of Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel. The firm’s Intellectual Property team is experienced in asserting and defending IP-related claims across various U.S. courts and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
About Lemko
Founded in 2004, Lemko is a U.S.-based global leader in Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)-based mobile networks. The company launched its first networks utilizing NFV software in 2004, enabling the world’s first single-layer, flat network and dramatically simplifying cellular network deployments. Lemko’s solutions cater to various applications, including private 4G/5G networks, emergency response, and rural/remote broadband networks. Their networks have been deployed in challenging environments worldwide, such as Alaska, Northern Canada, and Africa. To date, Lemko holds over 50 patents in 5G technologies, with 28 patents directly covering Mobile Edge Computing.
