The system is designed to protect critical infrastructure, including telecommunications networks and was funded by a £1.7m small business research initiative government contract.
UK Government and Telecom Partnership in Quantum
Awarded by Innovate UK, as part of the National Quantum Technologies Programme, BT was consulted on the design of the product to establish the requirements and specifications as an end-user and is now testing the prototype.
Miniaturised Design for Critical Infrastructure
Working with BT, the KETS’ team has developed a product that is the size of a server, making it small enough to be used in mission critical infrastructure globally. The new system transitions to integrated silicon chips for its optical heart, enabling KETS’ roadmap to continue to shrink the system, while being able to source chips at scale.
Scalable Optical Chips for Quantum-Safe Communications
The scalability helps telecommunications providers create an effective defence against a quantum attack. Current cybersecurity defences are completely vulnerable to a quantum computer, and KETS has developed a fully chip-based solution that provides high levels of security, robustness and networking flexibility.
Meeting Industry Demands for Security and Flexibility
Chris Erven, CEO and co-founder at KETS Quantum Security said: “As enterprises begin to truly appreciate the importance of quantum-safe security, deployment of QKD is becoming more and more widespread. In response, we have delivered a Quantum Key Distribution Prototype that meets the key demands of security, reliability and flexibility at scale for the first time. This breakthrough will help ensure that the UK will be at the heart of the global supply chain for commercial quantum-safe communications.”
BT’s Perspective on Quantum-Safe Security
Andrew Lord, head of optical networks and quantum research, BT said: As the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications, security is a key priority and developing quantum secure communications is an important part of that. The prototype Quantum Key Distribution Prototype system that KETS has developed, is an example of a technology that has the potential to offer protection against current and future cyber threats, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data in the quantum era. We look forward to putting it through our tests and acceptance procedures, which are crucial for every product we deploy into our network.
