Numana has officially commissioned the third site of its Kirq quantum communication testbed in Quebec City, completing a regional network loop that includes Montreal and Sherbrooke. Hosted at the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL-ULaval) and the National Optics Institute (INO), the infrastructure provides a collaborative laboratory for testing and validating quantum and post-quantum communication technologies. The expansion is supported by $6.5 million from the Quebec government and additional investment from Canada Economic Development (CED).
The Quebec City site leverages specialized instrumentation to support technology demonstrations under real-world conditions. INO serves as a co-designer and technological facilitator, focusing on quantum transduction and the interconnection between terrestrial and satellite networks, with future targets including RF, 5G, 6G, and THz integration. Nokia Canada provides the underlying optical and IP network infrastructure, enabling researchers to test the transition to sovereign quantum-safe connectivity and distributed entanglement between distinct quantum systems.
The Kirq testbed is designed as an open, scalable platform available to startups, academic institutions, and large enterprises across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and defense. It aims to reduce the risk associated with integrating quantum solutions by fostering experimentation in controlled environments that reflect operational uses. By assessing the technological maturity of quantum protocols, the infrastructure accelerates the commercialization and adoption of cybersecurity tools essential for long-term data protection.
Read the official press release from Numana here.
January 29, 2026
