(Forbes) Britain’s telecommunications giant BT has been researching quantum communications for several years in the effort to keep data on ultra-secure on fiber-optic cables. The company’s research focus has been on a technique known as quantum key distribution, which refers to using quantum physics to share keys in encrypted communications. The advent of powerful quantum-computing techniques could not only supercharge artificial intelligence but crack any code or password.
“Although this is quantum physics and seems like a hard science topic for a corporation to get involved with, we can see the potential impact all the way down the line,” says Jonathan Legh-Smith, who heads up partnerships and strategic research at BT Group. “Take an optical fiber, the thickness of your hair,” says Legh-Smith. The big worry for telecommunications providers like BT is the scenario of an unknown actor stealing data from a fiber-optic cable and then putting it back in undetected. But harnessing quantum physics can help detect even minor infractions in the data flow.
BT Researching Quantum Key Distribution to Protect Fiber-Optic Cables
