Germany's QuNET network demonstrates quantum-secure communication over 600 kilometers. The path to commercial use remains long, and companies must prepare for the quantum era in parallel.
Germany's quantum network QuNET recently reached a milestone: quantum-secure communication between multiple locations over a distance of 600 kilometers via fiber optic cable. What sounds like a pure research success marks an important step. Such demonstrations show that quantum technologies are growing from isolated laboratory experiments to networked infrastructures that can be integrated into existing telecommunications networks.
At the same time, it becomes clear: the leap from test network to commercial deployment remains a challenge. Limited ranges, high costs and missing international standards are slowing market readiness. Nevertheless, the quantum internet is already changing the discussion about data security today, because it forces companies to prepare for a future in which powerful quantum computers could break current encryption.
The quantum internet differs fundamentally from the classical internet. Instead of sending data packets over copper or fiber optic cables, it uses quantum states of light particles called photons. These photons transport information that can be entangled according to the laws of quantum mechanics. Any attempt to intercept or copy the data changes their state and becomes immediately detectable. This makes quantum communication theoretically unbreakable.
In practice, various methods are used. The most widespread is quantum key distribution, or QKD for short. Cryptographic keys are exchanged via quantum channels. These keys then serve to encrypt classical data streams. The advantage: even if an attacker intercepts the encrypted data, they lack the key, and any eavesdropping attack on the quantum channel is noticed.
However, QKD also has limits. Quantum signals cannot simply be amplified like classical signals, because any measurement destroys the quantum state. Therefore, direct transmission only works over limited distances, currently a few hundred kilometers. For longer distances, quantum repeaters are needed that establish entanglement between distant nodes without measuring the information itself. This technology is still under development.
In recent years, several quantum networks have emerged worldwide that go beyond pure laboratory setups. QuNET in Germany now connects locations in multiple cities and demonstrates that quantum-secure communication over existing fiber optic routes is possible. European initiatives are working to merge national networks into a continental quantum internet.
The technical challenge lies not only in the transmission itself, but in building complete network stacks. This includes quantum nodes that generate and receive photons, optical components for routing and control software that coordinates classical and quantum-based protocols. Such systems must be interoperable so that different providers and regions can communicate with each other.
The construction of quantum infrastructures is primarily financed through public funds. Europe invests through various programs in research and pilot projects to secure technological sovereignty. The USA, China and other countries pursue similar strategies. For companies, this means: the basic infrastructure initially emerges in the public sector before commercial applications can build on it.
Telecommunications providers, network equipment manufacturers and cybersecurity firms are closely monitoring this development. Some participate in pilot projects to gain early experience. For the broad mass of companies, however, the quantum internet remains far off.
Although the quantum internet is not yet market-ready, it already has an impact on corporate strategy today. The reason lies in a threat known as "harvest now, decrypt later". Attackers can intercept and store encrypted data today to decrypt it later with powerful quantum computers. For companies with long-term sensitive information, such as in the financial sector, pharmaceutical research or critical infrastructures, this is a real risk.
The answer is called post-quantum cryptography. These are encryption methods that should also withstand quantum computers. These methods run on classical hardware and can be gradually integrated into existing systems. International standardization bodies have already published initial algorithms, and companies are beginning the transition.
In parallel, quantum-secure network architectures are being developed that combine post-quantum cryptography with QKD. Such hybrid approaches offer double protection: classical encryption for data transmission and quantum-based key distribution as an additional security layer. For data centers, government agencies and corporations with the highest security requirements, new solutions are emerging.
The quantum internet is not limited to secure data transmission. In the long term, it should also enable distributed quantum computing, where multiple quantum computers work together via entangled states. Likewise, quantum sensors could be networked via such a network to coordinate high-precision measurements. These applications remain future possibilities for now, but show that the technology goes beyond cybersecurity.
Despite all progress, there are significant hurdles. The range remains limited as long as quantum repeaters are not ready for production. The costs for quantum nodes and optical components are significantly higher than classical network technology. And international standards that guarantee interoperability are missing. Anyone investing in quantum communication today takes the risk of betting on a technology that may prove incompatible in a few years.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how quickly quantum computers will actually develop. Should the breakthrough still take decades, the pressure to immediately switch to quantum-secure methods decreases. At the same time, unexpected progress could make the threat real faster than many assume. Companies are moving in an environment of high uncertainty.
In the IXYNO Tech Radar, the quantum internet is on horizon 3, "In development". The technology is promising and shows in test networks that it works. For the broad mass of companies, however, it is still too early. Exceptions are organizations with extremely high security requirements, such as government agencies, financial institutions or research facilities, that can already start pilot projects today.
For everyone else: observe, understand and focus on post-quantum cryptography in parallel. The real challenge is not to immediately enter the quantum internet, but to prepare one's own IT infrastructure so that it becomes quantum-secure as soon as the threat becomes real. This requires strategic planning, but no hasty investments.
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I confess: quantum technologies belong to the areas that I find fascinating, but at the same time overestimated, at least regarding the short-term time horizon. The potential is enormous, no question. But the path from laboratory to broad application is longer than many headlines suggest. QuNET and similar projects show that the fundamentals work. But until this becomes a commercial product that makes economic sense for medium-sized companies, years will pass.
At the same time, I find it problematic when companies completely ignore the topic for this reason. The threat from quantum computers is real, even if nobody knows exactly when it will materialize. Anyone transmitting sensitive data today should consider whether it will still be worth protecting in ten or twenty years. If so, it is worth looking at post-quantum cryptography and hybrid security architectures. The exciting part will be the combination anyway: when quantum communication meets quantum computing or AI-supported network security, completely new possibilities emerge.
My advice: no panic, but no waiting either. Stay informed, prepare the infrastructure and strategically enter partnerships. And who knows, maybe in a few years we will experience faster than expected how the quantum internet emerges from the niche.
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