Through the BeQCI project, Belnet is throwing its weight behind the roll-out of a quantum communications network in Belgium. Such an infrastructure should make the exchange of sensitive data significantly safer for research institutions and governments, among others.
Quantum technology will be used to innovatively communicate cryptographic keys securely between senders and receivers. Therefore, possible end users of the technology are organisations where a high level of security is required: banks, research centres, government agencies, etc.
BeQCI has a duration of 30 months (start: January 2023). 6 million is to be allocated for the project. Half of that budget is being funded by the EU, while the other half is national funding from the Federal Science Policy (Belspo).
The role of Belnet
For the BeQCI project, a consortium was formed in which partners from the R&E sector and industry joined forces. It is being coordinated by imec, the research centre for nano-electronics and digital technology.
Specifically, Belnet is taking on the roll-out of a separate dedicated infrastructure: the fibre-optic connections in Belgium and the necessary quantum network equipment (QKD). This includes designing and managing the quantum communication network, as well as making it operational.
Better cyber security in Europe
The project is part of a larger effort, funded by the European Union, to establish a Europe-wide quantum communications infrastructure (EuroQCI).
The aim is to eventually interconnect all the national quantum communication networks across the EU, thus better protecting sensitive data and critical infrastructures across Europe.
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