As you may have heard, since last year Belnet has been involved in the BeQCI project, which aims to deploy a quantum communications network in Belgium. Several partners (universities, public institutions and private companies) have joined forces in a consortium, led by imec.
In the initial and current project phase, Belnet is providing the roll-out of a separate dedicated infrastructure consisting of a combination of fibre-optic connections and associated Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) boxes that will be linked to it. By the end of 2023, three QKD connections will be operational at sites in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
Use cases sought
Quantum technology will be used to innovatively communicate cryptographic keys securely between senders and receivers, based on quantum mechanic effects.
Therefore, possible end users of the technology are organisations where a high level of security in terms of data communication is required, such as research centres, hospitals and government agencies.
The consortium is presently seeking organisations that would have a potential use case for sharing sensitive information across QKD networks. The use cases should help us assess the practicality of different QKD systems and protocols for QKD. The concrete use cases will take place between January 2024 and May 2025 and last approximately 1-2 months.
This is a unique opportunity for your organisation to test out the potential of quantum communications for sharing sensitive data. You can count upon technical support from Belnet and on the expertise of the other consortium members to manage your research properly.
Interested?
If so, please contact us as soon as possible. Along with imec, we will then arrange an appointment with you for an introductory session where we will give further information and you will have the opportunity to ask all your questions.