(SputnikNews) Huawei is spearheading quantum communication technology in a bid to build “unhackable” networks. Cyber security experts have discussed whether the tech giant’s efforts would make US eavesdropping techniques, once described by Edward Snowden, obsolete.
China became the first nation to establish a quantum network between Earth’s surface and its satellite Micius in June 2017 and held the first-ever quantum-encrypted video conference the same year. China’s 13th five-year plan for 2016-2020 was specifically focused on quantum communications and computation as a number one priority.
Following China’s space-to-ground quantum communication demonstration in 2017, Huawei performed a “groundbreaking trial” of the application of quantum cryptography on commercial optical networks together with Telefónica Spain and Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) on 14 June 2018.
Huawei issued a press release at that time–explaining that the advent of quantum computers helps resolve once unresolvable problems “including breaking the keys used by current methods”, which makes “most of our security infrastructure useless”. At the same time, the technique known as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides both protection against the threat posed by quantum computation and “a much higher security level for any exchange of data”.
Huawei is Spearheading Quantum Communication Technology for “Unhackable” Networks
