Nokia & KETS link up on quantum-safe telecoms demo

Nokia and KETS Quantum Security have integrated KETS' quantum key distribution technology into Nokia's global quantum-safe demonstration platform, aimed at telecoms operators and government customers.

KETS has supplied its QKD v2.0 unit for Nokia's travelling "flying kit", a mobile demonstration system for end-to-end network security tools. The combined setup is now operational and is being used to show how quantum-safe encryption can be deployed on existing telecoms infrastructure using commercially available hardware.

The collaboration centres on quantum key distribution, or QKD, which uses quantum mechanics to generate encryption keys designed to protect sensitive communications against future attacks by large-scale quantum computers. The issue has gained prominence as network operators and public sector buyers assess the risk that encrypted data intercepted today could be stored and decrypted later, once quantum computing becomes more practical.

Nokia is providing the optical networking equipment that uses the quantum-safe keys, while KETS supplies the chip-based modules that generate them. Together, the companies present the integrated design as a full quantum-safe stack in a single demonstrator.

Commercial focus

KETS' latest unit is based on the same server-sized architecture recently trialled by BT. Its approach uses integrated silicon chips in the optical core of the system, a design intended to help telecoms providers source parts at volume while keeping size, weight and power demands low.

That matters because one of the longstanding barriers to wider QKD adoption has been the difficulty of moving from specialist laboratory systems to equipment suited to practical network environments. Operators have generally looked for options that can sit alongside existing transport infrastructure rather than require a full network redesign.

Nokia has developed a model for quantum-safe telecoms deployments and uses its mobile demonstration systems with Tier-1 operators and government clients around the world. By adding KETS' hardware, it aims to show how third-party QKD technology can be incorporated into a broader network security architecture.

For KETS, the arrangement gives its technology exposure through a platform already used in customer discussions across multiple markets. The company describes itself as a chip-based quantum-safe encryption and networking business focused on securing critical data against advanced computing threats.

Lisa Matthews, chief executive officer of KETS Quantum Security, said the partnership reflects growing concern about the threat quantum computing poses to existing encryption systems.

"The threat of a quantum computer is not a distant problem; it is a clear and present danger. The moment a large-scale quantum computer is operational, every piece of sensitive data currently being transmitted, from financial transactions to national security secrets, will be exposed.

"Industry is calling out for a solution to this significant challenge. So seeing our chip-based technology live in Nokia's global demo systems is a testament to the progress we are making. By embedding our hardware into the very fabric of Nokia's ecosystem, we are proving that quantum-safe security is no longer a laboratory experiment; it is a commercially viable reality that can be deployed across global transport layers today," Matthews said.

Network integration

The partnership also highlights a broader shift in the telecoms sector, as vendors increasingly position quantum-safe security as an extension of existing optical and transport networks rather than as a separate niche product. The emphasis is on showing that encryption changes can be introduced in stages as customers weigh cost, interoperability and operational complexity.

Here, Nokia is presenting the integrated kit as evidence that mission-critical communications can be protected through a scalable architecture that works with current technology stacks. Its existing optical networking customer base gives it a channel to discuss those designs with operators responsible for backbone and critical infrastructure networks.

Carlo Corti, MEA Optical Networks Technical Sales Leader at Nokia, said the integration is part of a wider ecosystem approach.

"We are pleased to welcome KETS Quantum Security into our quantum-safe partner ecosystem. By integrating their Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) hardware into our global 'flying kit' demonstration system, we are showing how their technology participates in a holistic, end-to-end solution to provide quantum-safe outcomes. This collaboration proves that mission-critical communications can be protected using a scalable architecture that fits seamlessly into existing technology stacks," Corti said.

The integrated system has already been demonstrated internationally, underlining how both companies are using live demonstrations to move discussion of quantum-safe communications beyond research environments and into mainstream telecoms procurement conversations.