The team of Quantum Communications of Instituto de Telecomunicações in Aveiro conducted a demonstration of a secure quantum network for military applications in Brussels within the scope of the DISCRETION project, on 29th January 2025.
The initiative’s goal was to showcase the technological cutting-edge advancements that contribute to strengthening European defense infrastructure in military contexts. The demonstration highlighted the capability of the developed solutions to ensure encrypted and reliable message transmissions across different domains, safeguarding sensitive communications.
The advancements presented underscore the system's versatility and robustness, particularly in enhancing security for tactical, strategic, and cross-border applications.
"The use of quantum technologies for cryptographic key distribution enables a robust solution against attacks, including those involving future quantum computers. This demonstration has shown that quantum technology has already reached a sufficient level of maturity to be integrated into a complex telecommunications infrastructure, which includes not only the integrated quantum layer but also a control and management plane, a cryptographic key management layer, and applications ranging from secure voice and data connections to real-time video transmission," explained Armando Nolasco Pinto, our researcher, and professor at the University of Aveiro.
The DISCRETION project - "Disruptive SDN Secure Communications for European Defence" - is a six-million-euro initiative aimed at developing an optical Software Defined Network (SDN) solution to ensure secure, robust, and resilient communications in the context of European Defense. The project is led by Deimos Engenharia (Portugal) and involves various partners from Portugal (Altice Labs, Adyta, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico), Spain (Telefónica ID, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Austria (Austrian Institute of Technology), and Italy (NEXTWORKS). The initiative receives support from the European Commission and the Portuguese Government.
The Quantum Communications team of IT in Aveiro is widely recognized for its multidisciplinary approach to developing quantum cryptography protocols and its participation in major international projects, including activities within NATO.
Find further on this project: https://www.it.pt/Projects/Index/4774
Read our previous news on this subject:
https://www.it.pt/News/NewsPost/4807
https://www.it.pt/News/NewsPost/4748
https://www.it.pt/News/NewsPost/4703
https://www.it.pt/News/NewsPost/4753
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