BT has recently started a collaboration with Toshiba in order to develop the UK’s first commercial trial of a quantum secured network with EY.
Indeed, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is now considered vital against emerging cyberattacks using quantum computing so the London network would help the UK government’s strategy in becoming a quantum-enable economy. By creating the network, it aims to connect EY customers across London and secure the transmission of valuable data and information using QKD.
It was also reported that the network has been active since April 2022, with the deployment and testing starting in late 2021, and will have a trial period of up to three years. It hopes to show how data can move between sites through QKD and how it can be beneficial for customers.
During the trial period, BT will operate the network and offer various quantum-secured services such as dedicated high-bandwidth, and end-to-end encrypted links. Besides, the QKD keys will be combined with the in-built ethernet security, which will enable the resultant keys to be used to encrypt the data.
Hence, this new network is set to shape the UK’s quantum strategy and will be paving the way for further commercial explorations of quantum technologies.
