Colt completes quantum secured encryption trial across optical network

Colt Technology Services has announced the successful completion of a groundbreaking quantum-secured encryption trial across its optical wave network. Colt collaborated with a number of technology partners for the trial including Adtran, Ciena, ID Quantique (IDQ), Nokia and Toshiba, with a view to Colt offering a suite of services for global businesses to prepare for a quantum-secured future.

Following the successful completion of the trial, Colt is developing new customised solutions which protect businesses from the risks posed by quantum computers in deciphering classical encryption keys. The new quantum-secured encryption solutions - which can be designed and delivered to meet Colt customers’ individual requirements – will expand and complement Colt’s existing Optical Encryption portfolio.

These will include:

• Quantum-secured Encryption for Colt's Wave Services across Metro, National and International networks

• Quantum-secured Encryption for a customer's private network across Metro, National and International networks

For Colt, the trial was a significant step forward in piloting new technologies which solve future problems for its global customers, as well as testing the capabilities and integration of a number of different partners. This means it can offer quantum-secured networking capabilities in a vendor-agnostic environment, giving Colt’s customers a wider choice of solutions to meet their current and future needs.

The quantum market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 23-25% from 2023 to 2035, with industries including financial services, defence and healthcare companies being some of the first to benefit from its complex problem-solving potential. At the same time, organisations must protect themselves from risks expected to be presented by quantum computers, including ‘harvest now, decrypt later’, in which adversaries collect and store data with the intention of decrypting it as quantum technology matures; and Q-Day, the point at which quantum computers are expected to be able to break classical encryption methods.

Buddy Bayer, chief operating officer, Colt Technology Services said, “Safeguarding data from future risk is a huge challenge for businesses, particularly when the threat comes from a technology as complex and unknown as quantum. Our trial brought together some of the most exceptional partners, advanced technologies and the greatest technical minds in the industry with a single shared goal: to find a solution so our customers can face a quantum future with confidence. Together, we’ve achieved that goal.”

Technical specifications of the trial are below:

• The trial evaluated different quantum-secured encryption methods on data traffic across Colt’s optical wave network, including Quantum Key Distribution (QKD); Pre-Shared Key (PSK) with symmetric key distribution; and Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) technology

• Colt tested these different yet complementary quantum-secured capabilities in its long-distance network between London to Frankfurt with a span length of 1,361 km and in its metro network across two Colt Points of Presence (PoPs) in London city and one PoP in Slough with a span length of 88km.

• The Quantum Key Distribution trial ran between London City and Slough in the UK. Multiple partner solutions evaluated quantum key distribution scenarios in both point to point and trusted node topologies. Colt also tested the scenarios using both dual fibre pair and single fibre pair networks. In the single fibre scenario, Colt transported both quantum channel and data services on the same fibre pair.

Colt anticipates its financial services customers will be some of the first to benefit from its new solutions, with the financial services industry seeing some of the earliest adoption of quantum. Deloitte Insights anticipates the financial services industry’s investment in quantum computing capabilities to grow at a 10-year CAGR of 72% from 2022 through to 2032, from US$80 million in 2022 to US$19 billion in 2032. Use cases across the industry include quantum in risk management; fraud detection and mitigation; portfolio optimisation and market analysis; complex derivative pricing; high frequency trading and securing financial operations.

Buddy added, “With this successful trial, we’re not just keeping pace with the future of cybersecurity, we are leading the charge. Our commitment to innovation and security ensures that our customers can confidently navigate the quantum era, knowing their data is protected by the most advanced encryption technologies available.”