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TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, NEW PRODUCTS AND PEOPLE

BT and Toshiba launch first commercial trial of

quantum secured communication services

T and Toshiba, along with EY, have playing a fundamental role in protecting and key management software. In the
launched the trial of a world-first networks and data against the emerging network, QKD keys will be combined
Bcommercial quantum secured threat of cyber-attack using quantum with the in-built ethernet security, based
metro network. computing. The London network on public-key based encryption, which
The concept of quantum key represents a critical step towards will enable the resultant keys to be used
distribution (QKD) was first proposed in reaching the UK government’s strategy to to encrypt the data.
the 1970s but it wasn’t until the 1980s become a quantum-enabled economy. Preparation, technical deployment
that it really came to the fore. The idea The network’s first commercial and testing for the network commenced
was incredibly simple yet it took until the customer, EY, will use the network to in late 2021. This included equipment
1990s, when the connection was made connect two of its sites in London, one deployment in racks, adding security
to entanglement, that physicists started in Canary Wharf, and one near London systems and resilience testing, and finally
to get really interested. Since then, Bridge. It will demonstrate how data running and optimising the network.
progress has been remarkable and it is secured using QKD can move between While Tuesday 26th April marked the
now perhaps the most mature quantum sites and will showcase the benefits this official launch of the network, it has been
technology, being commercially available network brings to its own customers. running since early April, and will operate
for over 15 years now. BT and Toshiba announced their for an initial period of up to three years.
The BT infrastructure will be able commitment to creating a trial network The technical collaboration for this
to connect numerous customers across in October 2021. BT will operate the network was conducted in BT’s Adastral
London, helping them to secure the network, providing a range of quantum- Park labs in Suffolk, UK, and the Quantum
transmission of valuable data and secured services including dedicated high technology Business Division of Toshiba,
information between multiple physical bandwidth end-to-end encrypted links, based in Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge,
locations over standard fibre optic delivered over Openreach’s private fibre UK, where the quantum key distribution
links, using quantum key distribution networks, while Toshiba will provide technology has been developed and is
(QKD). QKD is an important technology, quantum key distribution hardware manufactured.

EY becomes first commercial customer to connect quantum secure data transmission between its major London offices.

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