Even though still very much in the development phase, quantum computing and networks are eagerly anticipated by businesses, and Toshiba is promising that its Quantum-Safe Networking (QSN) platform will be able to transform network deployments by enabling operators to serve multiple customers and nodes from a single exchange‑based unit, eliminating the need for dedicated hardware per link.
To date, a number of networking and IT leaders have been working on distributed quantum networks that they believe could lay the groundwork towards a quantum computing internet defined by quantum computers, sensors and communication in the late 2030s.
Current quantum computers and networks are powerful but limited, operating at hundreds of qubits when real-world applications in healthcare, financial services and aerospace will need millions of them to achieve unheard-of speeds and technological breakthroughs. Networking and connectivity are central to bridging this gap.
Yet there are great fears that by their very nature, quantum networks present a huge security risk. The prospect exists that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could render many of today’s encryption methods insecure, through “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, in which adversaries capture encrypted information today and retain it for future decryption.
Toshiba regards the arrival of QSN as marking a major step towards delivering true scalability, flexibility and greater efficiency in the deployment of quantum-safe networks. Indeed, it says the quantum-safe transition is underway.
The platform brings together interoperable equipment and deployment capabilities in a unified architecture. It is designed to help network operators, datacentre service providers, enterprises and public-sector organisations protect their most critical data paths first and expand as their security, operational and commercial requirements evolve.
Toshiba stressed that with QSN, such organisations do not need to rebuild their networks to get started. The platform integrates with existing network infrastructures and can support deployments from a single dedicated connection to large metro, hub-and-spoke, ring, mesh and long-distance networks.
By simplifying the deployment of quantum-safe networks and improving the economics of expanding across multiple sites, Toshiba claims the platform helps turn the quantum-safe transition into a strategic advantage. Businesses can strengthen network resilience while scaling protection in line with their needs. Targeted trials and commercial deployments are said to have demonstrated that the technology can be used to protect critical connections.
The next step, says Toshiba, is for industry to extend quantum-safe protection across more sites and network types as efficiently as possible. It believes the QSN Platform supports this expansion through a range of capabilities that reduce complexity, footprint and cost.
Transceivers combine transmitters and receivers in a single unit, while its hubs use optical switching to connect multiple sites with less equipment than conventional point-to-point deployments.
In the single architecture, QSN combines various quantum technologies. Post-Quantum Cryptography provides quantum-resistant key exchange, helping organisations meet recent government mandates and recommendations. It also offers security through advanced quantum technologies, including Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Random Number Generation.
These technologies are designed to withstand all future computational attacks and are not susceptible to AI-driven attacks increasingly used to find vulnerabilities in algorithmic cryptography.
“The quantum-safe transition represents the largest cryptographic transformation in history,” said Hiroshi Tsukino, vice-president of ICT solutions division at Toshiba. “A transformation of that scale cannot happen overnight. Organisations need to begin protecting their most critical networks and data today, while establishing a clear path to extend that protection as threats evolve and new standards and operational requirements are introduced. Toshiba QSN Platform has been designed to provide a practical path to quantum-safe network adoption.”
