Toshiba has announced the launch of a new Quantum-Safe Network (QSN) platform, which it says offers enhanced scalability, flexibility, and efficiency in building networks capable of defending against future security threats posed by quantum computers. The platform is designed for network operators, data center service providers, enterprises, and public sector organizations.
Andrew Shields, Vice President and General Manager of Toshiba’s Quantum Technology Division, told Light Reading that QSN is designed as a portfolio of products for building scalable networks.
Shields said, "It is very close to the architecture of telecommunications networks," meaning it can be used to create large-scale networks rather than relying on peer-to-peer connections as is done today.
The company stated in its press release that the QSN platform is suitable for deployments of various scales, ranging from single dedicated connections to large metropolitan networks, hub-and-spoke networks, ring networks, mesh networks, and long-haul networks.
Lee Johnson, Manager of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Business Development at Toshiba, said in an interview that telecom operators and other organizations can "provide this foundational protection and easily and efficiently scale it according to their strategies, capital expenditures, or market demands."
The platform integrates multiple technologies for quantum-safe communication, including post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD). PQC employs encryption algorithms designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers, while QKD is a more hardware-dependent approach that leverages principles of quantum physics to distribute encryption keys.
Shields stated that customers can choose their desired technology combination, whether it's a hybrid key based on multiple technologies, or using only PQC or QKD.
He said: "One advantage of the new platform... is that currently, when performing QKD, we need to deploy hardware at both ends of each fiber optic cable. But with the new platform, we will use optical switching, which will allow us to serve multiple customers through a single device in the switching office."
According to current technology, each customer requires a separate device at the exchange to establish a hardware connection. But on the new platform, a single hardware device can serve 100 or even 1,000 customers, Shields said.
He explained that this would save significant rack space, weight, and power consumption within the exchange, while the hardware costs could be shared among different customers.
The cost of QKD is considered one of the barriers to its broader deployment and adoption.
Shields said the idea is to establish core networks at some telecom operator switching centers, allowing new customers to connect to one of these switching centers. "This is how you build a scalable network, and it truly mimics how traditional telecom networks operate," he said.
The QSN platform will be used in Toshiba’s existing collaboration with Orange. Orange has already deployed quantum-secure networks using Toshiba’s QKD technology for unnamed commercial clients. Shields said, “We will integrate this technology into that network to scale it up.”
In the future, quantum computers are expected to break algorithms commonly used for encryption, such as RSA. This means sensitive data will require new protection methods to ensure its security. In the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has identified PQC algorithms considered quantum-safe and has set 2035 as the deadline for full migration; the UK and the EU are following suit.
However, any data expected to remain sensitive over the next few years is generally considered at risk of being collected today and decrypted later when technology permits.
Johnson said, “Achieving a quantum-safe network will be a winding road and will take time.” He added that the key lies in developing migration strategies, such as identifying the most vulnerable parts of the network and how to protect them.
Several telecommunications operators in Europe have begun offering quantum-safe communication services. Orange provides its Quantum Defender solution, and BT has partnered with Toshiba to launch a QKD network in London. Meanwhile, Telefónica has initiated a QKD pilot in Spain, connecting facilities such as hospitals and law enforcement agencies.
Shields said that individual QKD networks are beginning to expand into national or regional solutions, citing China, Japan, and the European Union’s EuroQCI project. The latter, led by Deutsche Telekom, plans to ultimately use the EU’s already prepared IRIS2 satellite constellation to protect government data across the entire European Union with QKD.
Shields acknowledged that the current maximum distance for a single QKD link is 150 kilometers. However, he noted that this is sufficient to connect exchange nodes without intermediate devices.
Shields said, "We can build national networks, even transcontinental networks, right now." He added that satellites can be used to "connect different fiber networks across various regions of the world."