by Amara Graps
Quantum Network Testbeds Near You
“Where are the Quantum Internet pilot projects nearest to my home?”
-might have been one of your questions when you read success stories in the Quantum Computing Report last May, such as the Harvard and AWS’ Quantum Network, which utilized a Quantum Memory component, or the earlier April story about the Quantum Network that ran 15 days uninterrupted under New York streets.
A good place to find your answer is inside the list of 44 Quantum Network Testbeds in: QCR’s Where are the Worldwide Quantum Networking Testbeds?
Quantum network and communication developments are some of the most visible progress stories in the quantum technology field.
The Quantum Network Leader and How to Catch up
In GQI’s Quantum Safe State of Play Presentation, the information for China gives a status report for that country’s famous quantum communication efforts. See the next Figure.
Figure. Slide of China’s key Quantum Network features GQI’s Quantum Safe State of Play Presentation (*)
The new Report: Quantum Networking, from the US’ National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Advisory Committee (NQIAC), is aimed to focus the US’ resources and give recommendations. However, a search through the Report on the word ‘funding’ highlights ‘Why’ it is behind other countries, such as China. For example, the NQI’s recommendation number 4:
4. Federal funding for quantum networking testbeds should be allocated when testbeds are both “right-sized” and “properly-timed.”
Yes, Quantum Networks can be challenging to justify to Society. China and European countries, like the Netherlands, have found a way, however. Ultimately, it is a funding issue. The funding for the Quantum Network looks especially bleak when studied from the private investments’ perspective:
Figure. GQI’s Investor Playbook, with selected Quantum Communication sub-field. (**)
On the left pie chart, we see 3.8% investment for this year, up to now, and if one goes into the details in GQI’s corresponding 65-page report, the percentage for the quantum communication investment, year-to-year is 8%.
Why are Quantum Communication Investments Small?
Given what we see in the field’s activities, why are Quantum Communication investments so small? If one compares to quantum computer funding, there are possible reasons:
- Commercial Viability: Companies have made notable progress, leading to commercial quantum computing services (e.g., cloud-based quantum platforms).
- Technological Maturity: Quantum communication, particularly quantum key distribution (QKD), is already possible on a small scale, but the infrastructure for widespread use (like satellites or fiber-optic networks) is far less developed and requires large, long-term investments. Quantum computers are making rapid progress in both hardware and software.
- Market Perception: Quantum computing is often perceived as a more revolutionary technology compared to quantum communication, which may be viewed as a specific application (i.e., secure communication) rather than a transformative general-purpose technology.
- Security Niche: Quantum communication, especially through QKD, is mostly focused on the security niche. The demand for quantum-secure communication is also dependent on future threats, like quantum computers breaking classical encryption.
- Longer Time Horizons for Returns: Investors in quantum computing may expect a faster return on investment due to the wide range of industries interested in its potential applications. Quantum communication, on the other hand, requires the development of new communication networks and infrastructures, which could take much longer to implement and deliver financial returns.
In summary, quantum computing’s broader application potential, and faster technological advances, make it a more attractive area for larger investments compared to the more niche, specialized quantum communication field.
To address the funding disparity, we should accept advice from the new US Quantum Networking report, appropriately for other countries too:
Quantum networking is not a siloed subfield of QIS; advances made will translate to computing, sensing, and our fundamental understanding of quantum mechanics. Funding for quantum networking should therefore be commensurate with other areas of QIS, and support for R&D in quantum networking should be coordinated with the objectives for other areas of QIS.
(*) ‘Safe’ refers to the security aspects of the current-future Quantum Internet, synonymous with Quantum Communication, for now. The Quantum Safe/Communications Presentation and the Quantum Safe Outlook Report is essential information about the security of our digital infrastructure in the future.
(**) The Investor Playbook is an interactive tool from GQI that encourages exploration into the quantum sub-domains from an investor point-of-view.
If you are interested to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].
September 10, 2024
