Nokia and Proximus complete hybrid quantum encryption key trial

BRUSSELS – Nokia and its partners today announced the successful completion of Europe's first live hybrid quantum encryption key trial with Proximus. Using technology from Nokia, ID Quantique and evolutionQ, Proximus was able to establish a quantum-safe optical network connection using quantum key distribution (QKD) to successfully encrypt and transmit data between two datacenters located in Brussels and Mechelen, Belgium. The live demonstration represents a significant milestone in the development of quantum key technologies and highlights the future of network security in the era of quantum computing.

Quantum computers are expected to usher in a new world of possibilities with the power to solve currently unsolvable problems. However, they can also pose a significant risk to online security, capable of breaking some of today's most widely used security protocols in a matter of seconds. To prepare for Q-day - the eventual day when quantum computers are capable of performing sophisticated computations that can break asymmetric, mathematical based encryption schemes - enterprises, operators and governments will need to ensure their data and networks are safe from quantum attacks. Quantum cryptography allows operators to use the principals of quantum mechanics to encrypt and send messages securely.

The trial with Proximus highlights how quantum cryptography can be implemented in a live network to help protect against malicious hacks or attacks from future quantum computers. Using Nokia's Quantum-Safe Networks solution alongside hardware and software from ID Quantique and evolutionQ which create, distribute and manage the quantum keys, Proximus was able to encrypt data running over its live optical network and use photonic properties to ensure the safety of the data transmitted. Adding an additional layer of security, Nokia's SMS (Security Management Server), a quantum-safe key generator and orchestrator, provided classic quantum-safe encryption using symmetric key distribution in instances where the stability of data using QKD were compromised or altered.

Read the full press release here.

Nokia