BT and Toshiba claim to have launched the world's first quantum-secure metro network. They have signed up with Ernst & Young as their pilot in a live commercial trial, in which the consultancy will use the network to securely connect and share data between its two London offices - one in Canary Wharf and the other near London Bridge. If all goes well, the trial will contribute to BT's ability to attract clients with the most stringent security requirements - think multinational corporations and government departments.
Indeed, Praveen Shankar, EY's managing partner for technology, media and telecoms in the UK and Ireland, similarly said the trial "will allow us to demonstrate the power of quantum to EY and our customers".
In a quantum-secure network, data is protected using quantum key distribution (QKD): a hardware system that allows senders and receivers to generate and share a secret random key that cannot be intercepted undetected.
For some reason, though, BT and Toshiba are also integrating this QKD technology with existing Ethernet security technologies based on public-key encryption. They don't explain why they need to integrate it, which begs the question, why use a security tool that became obsolete with the advent of quantum computing? To the uninitiated, it sounds like a race car dragging an old van behind it, but BT and Toshiba probably know what they're doing.
"Quantum technologies are expected to have a profound impact on the way society and businesses will operate in the future, but they are complex to understand, develop and build: not least to ensure that the end-to-end service design meets the security requirements of a demanding market," BT's chief technology officer said in a statement. "I am immensely proud that BT and Toshiba have successfully joined forces to deliver this unique network, and with EY as our first trial customer, we are paving the way for further commercial exploration of quantum technology and its use in commercial and social applications going forward."
The trial comes a little more than six months after BT and Toshiba revealed plans to build a quantum-safe metro network in London. The two have been experimenting with quantum technology together for years and have conducted various tests at Bristol, Cambridge and BT's Adastral Park lab. Late last year, Toshiba announced a breakthrough in which it integrated the various suites that make up its QKD and Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) systems onto a single semiconductor. For its part, last September BT revealed that it was conducting QKD trials on hollow-core fiber.
"Through decades of innovation and operations, both Toshiba and BT have demonstrated world-class technology development and leadership," said Shunsuke Okada, Toshiba's senior vice president and chief digital officer. "Combining BT's leadership in network technology with Toshiba's leadership in quantum technology brings this network to life, allowing businesses in London to benefit from quantum secure communications for the first time."
But that's not the point when you consider some of the more sophisticated cyber attacks orchestrated by state-sponsored actors against critical infrastructure, such as the power grid. Regardless of when or if quantum computers replace their binary predecessors, there are still clear practical benefits to using the technology to upgrade the security of communications and data to protect against today's threats.
