Quantum Corridor, in collaboration with Toshiba International Corporation (TIC) and partners, has successfully demonstrated quantum-secured communication using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over a live commercial metropolitan fiber network connecting data centers in Illinois and Indiana. This is reported to be the first cross-state QKD demonstration on any commercial carrier network in the U.S..
The demonstration was implemented across a 21.8 km segment of Quantum Corridor’s live high-capacity optical network, connecting the ORD 10 Data Center in Chicago, Illinois, to the Digital Crossroad Data Center in Hammond, Indiana. The experiment validated the use of Toshiba’s multiplexed QKD technology seamlessly integrated with Ciena’s Waveserver 5 800G coherent encryption modules.
The system achieved secure key rates averaging 1,500 kbps, far exceeding typical field expectations, and maintained 100% line-rate throughput with zero packet loss over 48 hours of continuous encrypted traffic. The quantum-generated keys were used to deliver AES-256-GCM encryption, with a fresh set of QKD keys obtained every 90 seconds, showcasing the interoperability and scalability of quantum-secured transport in a commercial, high-availability setting.
Ryan Lafler, President & CTO of Quantum Corridor, highlighted the achievement as a critical step toward realizing a commercially scalable, quantum-safe communications fabric for the nation’s defense, finance, and life science industries. Dr. Michael Manfra, Director of the Purdue University Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, noted that the achievement marks a significant transition toward commercially viable secure quantum key distribution across state boundaries in the Midwest Quantum heartland.
This regional collaboration grew out of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) partnership program and involved contributions from a University of Chicago graduate student. Quantum Corridor, a member of the Bloch Tech Hub, is building what it states will be the nation’s largest quantum computing superhighway, planned to stretch 263 miles.
Read the full announcement here and access the full Quantum Corridor-Toshiba technical white paper here.
December 10, 2025
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