The “Quantum Tech Day” event that took place yesterday (March 13th) marked the official launch of the new quantum national network, an initiative of our researcher Armando Nolasco Pinto, coordinator of the quantum optical communications group at the Aveiro IT branch.
According to the researcher to Lusa: “It is true that we left with some delay, but we have a very interesting dynamic (...). The project will start right away and within three years we intend to have these four 'nodes' installed.”
The implementation of the quantum national network comes within the scope of the PTQCI project, worth 6.8 million euros, which is led by the National Security Office (GNS), and has IT's contribution in the design and implementation of the 'nodes' (interconnection points) quantum that will articulate with cipher machines in the structuring of the network.
Communication systems based on quantum physics guarantee the transmission of encrypted data without the possibility of interception since any attempts at decoding outside the intended final destination make the transmitted data unintelligible.
Armando Nolasco Pinto clarified that the future quantum national network will be structured in the future from the point of view of information security. "We are talking about a government network that will be used, at least in a first phase, essentially to support part of the State's communications", he said.
The researcher explained that there will be a central 'node' in the National Security Office and three more access points in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Staff of the Defense Forces and the Navy's Communications, Data, and Cipher Centre.
In a second phase, the network will be extended to the different district capitals and also to the islands, and then to other European countries, starting with Spain.
The researcher also added that next year the European Union will open applications for the attribution of support for the interconnection of networks in different countries, highlighting the importance of Portugal being "well positioned" to take advantage of these incentives.
"The idea is that, in fact, Portugal does not fall behind in this movement that is so important, which is to create a quantum network on a European scale that guarantees the security of communications in the European space and also in the national space", he concluded.
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