“SpeQtral - Securing Global Networks in the Quantum Era - Satellite QKD | #IYQ2025 & #ThaiYQ2025 | Joanne Liao (SG) | APRIL 16, 2025 | (Q&A)
- Q-Thai Admin
- 16 เม.ย.
- ยาว 5 นาที
อัปเดตเมื่อ 6 พ.ค.
(April 2025) หัวข้อประจำเดือนเมษายน ๒๕๖๘
สนทนา #IYQ2025 & #ThaiYQ2025
(Questions & Answers - บรรยายและคำถามคำตอบ)
(Q & A session)
Welcome to #IYQ2025 & #ThaiYQ2025 on Q&A session. Thanks for your talk and we have a few questions, please feel free to share your opinions and also suggest.
Q1 : The activities surrounding quantum key distribution (QKD) in Singapore are very impressive. What are SpeQtral's long-term objectives, including specific business targets and market expansion plans? Furthermore, what is the potential for an ASEAN QKD forum or network, and which other countries in the region should be preparing for this technology?
Answer: SpeQtral’s long term mission is to secure digital communications against the quantum threat by developing and deploying quantum-safe technologies and we are doing this by:
Deploying and driving the expansion of commercial fibre QKD networks as a starting point/platform for local users to start adopting QKD, build use cases and study how it can be integrated into their existing IT/security infrastructure. We have started this in Singapore but we hope to replicate such concepts to other cities and metropolitan areas in the region.
Developing and building up all the key technology building blocks to enable satellite QKD, and working with partners across the world (in Europe, US as well as Asia) to demonstrate the technology.
As digital communications is global, we expect that the that all countries should start to prepare for the quantum safe transition today as it will take many years to build up local capabilities, infrastructure and services, as well as migrate from classical security to quantum security. SpeQtral would happy to provide support to the regional ecosystem if an ASEAN QKD forum and/or network is set up.
Q2: You mentioned "quantum channels" and "trusted nodes”. There are numerous comments suggesting these are highly specific techniques used for demonstrations and not proper in real-world applications. Specially, regarding "trusted nodes," a significant point is that 'if we have "trusted nodes" in real communication systems, then complete trust is assumed, negating the need for security. This logic could also extend to "trusted servers" "trusted routers" "trusted transmitters & receivers”, and so on’. Could you please clarify these technical terms, particularly "quantum channel" and "trusted node," from a business perspective?
Answer: A quantum channel is an optical channel for the transmission of the quantum signal or qubits. Today, QKD is still largely a point-to-point, pairwise technology i.e. in a scalable network configuration, to establish a QKD key between 2 access nodes (i.e. end user nodes), it may be necessary to pass through a series of physically secure trusted QKD nodes i.e. a concatenation of Alice-Bob QKD device pairs. While the photons (or qubits) are in a quantum state (and therefore secure) when in transit between each Alice and Bob pair, they are detected at the trusted nodes (converted to classical bits) and therefore need to be physically secure according to cybersecurity industry best practices at these trusted nodes.
In future, with the use of quantum entanglement and further realization of quantum repeaters and quantum memories, it may be possible to create quantum networks where such intermediate nodes do not need to be trusted.
Q3: It's noted that several leading information security agencies, such as NCSC (UK 2018), NSA (US 2020), ANSS (France 2022), and BSI (Germany 2022), have not recommended QKD as a primary cybersecurity solution. How does SpeQtral address this concern while promoting global QKD networks? Additionally, how do you approach science communication for the public? Could you offer some suggestions?
Answer: While the issues highlighted in many of these publications are significant, it is important to note that many of them are not inherent to QKD technology but rather due to the nascency of commercial QKD hardware being deployed in operational environments. Some QKD specific limitations can potentially be resolved in the mid-to-long term. Publications like “The debate over QKD: A rebuttal to the NSA’s objections” addresses many of these key criticisms and explains why QKD is still a potentially good solution to the future quantum cybersecurity threat.
It should also be noted that it is now widely recognized within the quantum security ecosystem that the various types of quantum safe technologies such as QKD and PQC are complementary, rather than competing technologies that will likely be deployed in some form of hybrid manner to address different quantum safe use cases. QKD alone is not suitable for use cases or applications but it is highly recommended to be deployed in conjunction with other forms of quantum safe technologies to provide defence-in-depth and enhance the overall robustness and security of quantum safe networks.
Q4: Could you elaborate further on the business value of QKD satellites? What other market areas exist beyond educational and R&D applications?
Answer: The business value for Satellite QKD is to form the backbone of global QKD networks, linking up separate fibre QKD networks (in cities/metropolitan areas) such that any QKD end node on any fibre QKD network (e.g. in City A) can establish a shared secret key with another QKD end node on another fibre QKD network (e.g. in City B). This concept has been demonstrated in China and other programmes globally (e.g. in Europe) are broadly also adopting a similar approach.
Q5: Several years ago in Thailand, fiber-based QKD products were promoted as a tie-in selling tech for national infrastructure. Use cases in the Middle East claimed QKD's ability to protect power grid networks. However, to date, there have only been temporary QKD demonstrations, and manufacturers in Europe, China, and Japan have yet to present real-world business deployments with 24/7 service. But a number of news outlets are still promoting worldwide as “practical use”. What are your thoughts on this discrepancy? Could you offer your critique and suggestions?
Answer: The extensive QKD network (national backbone network is >12,000km long) across China can be considered operational. Similarly, though on a smaller scale than China, South Korea has deployed a QKD network securing 48 governmental organizations across the country. The London QSMN in UK and NQSN+ in Singapore are also telco-led QKD-as-a-Service networks that offer commercial QKDaaS services to enterprises today.
While there are indeed still many temporary demonstrations, it should be noted that QKD, as a commercial technology, is still fairly nascent and is largely still at a “discovery phase” for most organizations, many of which are only just starting to grasp the concept of quantum security and assessing how it can be incorporated into their existing systems. Such POCs can therefore be viewed as a natural stage of progression in this quantum migration journey. At this early stage, strong government support and sustained investments in this infrastructure build up play an important role in the successful deployments of commercial grade QKD networks for practical use.
It should also be noted that some of the early adopters (beyond those in China and South Korea) and thought leaders are already moving towards adopting the technology within their IT/security infrastructure and are conducting in-depth assessments on the necessary practical steps and measures needed to integrate QKD in a systematic, scalable and future proof manner.
— end of Q&A session
Wishing SpeQtral all the best for the upcoming launch of your quantum satellite and the achievement of significant results. We would be thrilled to host you again at our exciting seminar as a keynote next year. It would be fantastic if your next presentation could feature a real-time QKD demonstration via satellite. Thank you so much for your contribution to #IYQ2025 & #ThaiYQ2025.
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100th World & 50th Thai Quantum S&T Anniversary
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(รายละเอียดและกิจกรรม - Proposal & updated activities)
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