Quantum hardware and networking company IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and Chattanooga electric power and telecommunications provider EPB have announced plans to launch the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the research and development innovation laboratory will be directly connected to an operational fiber optic communications network. The initiative aims to integrate commercial quantum memory units directly into live telecommunications infrastructure to support long-distance quantum information storage and routing.
The center will be funded through a $15 million, five-year financial commitment from IonQ and staffed by IonQ research scientists. EPB will supply the live fiber optic network testbed and act as the primary commercialization partner, translating laboratory R&D into public- and private-sector use cases across the Tennessee Valley corridor. The project is projected to generate a regional economic impact up to two to three times the initial investment and support approximately two dozen direct and indirect jobs.
A core focus of the new facility is the installation of commercial quantum memory hardware directly onto an active network. Quantum memories store and retrieve quantum states over fiber optic channels, serving as foundational building blocks for interconnecting discrete quantum processors across extended distances. Establishing on-network R&D capabilities is designed to accelerate the development of quantum repeaters, distributed quantum computing architectures, and quantum network protocols.
The Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center expands upon existing collaborations between EPB and IonQ at the downtown EPB Quantum Center. The facility already houses the EPB Quantum Network—a fiber-optic quantum key distribution and validation environment—alongside an on-premises IonQ Forte Enterprise trapped-ion quantum computer currently undergoing preparations for commercial deployment.
The initiative connects ongoing quantum research activities across regional universities, national laboratories, and commercial facilities in Tennessee. Future development plans include linking external quantum research nodes, educational centers, and enterprise facilities directly to EPB’s quantum networking infrastructure.
Review the official joint announcement on IonQ Investor here, and examine our previous coverage of IonQ and EPB’s Quantum Innovation Center Launch here.
August 4, 2026
