Broadband has come a long way from noisy dial-up connections and every new technology from fibre to 5G has transformed our connectivity. Now, a new innovation called quantum networking is set to completely change the future of broadband.
It’s not just a small upgrade to broadband but a whole new way of thinking about how the Internet works. By applying the rules of quantum physics, information can be sent in ways that are faster and safer than what we’re familiar with now.
Our Experts
- Bob Bilbruck: CEO of Captjur
- Philip Stoelman: Founder and CEO of Network Republic
- Yuval Boger: Chief Commercial Officer at QuEra
- Gemma Martynwood: Partner at EIP
- Azfar Aslam: Vice President & CTO at NI Europe, Nokia
Bob Bilbruck, CEO of Captjur
Quantum networking is a new kind of internet tech based on the weird rules of quantum physics. It uses things like entanglement and quantum keys to send information in ways that are ultra-secure and (one day) super-fast.
Unlike regular internet data, which is made of simple 1s and 0s, quantum data (called qubits) can do more at once—and even stay connected across huge distances instantly.
Sounds sci-fi, but it’s already being tested. So, what’s the impact on broadband? Un-hackable security – Perfect for banks, governments, and eventually your home Wi-Fi.
Super low latency – Ideal for things like cloud gaming, remote surgery, or self-driving cars. Smarter internet systems – Quantum networks could handle security tasks, freeing up regular broadband for faster streaming and downloads.
But there are challenges. Quantum networks need all-new gear, are tricky over long distances, and are still crazy expensive.
For now, it’s mostly in labs and military setups. But over the next 10–20 years, we’ll start to see pieces of it show up in consumer tech. Long-term, quantum networking won’t replace broadband—but it’ll make it faster, smarter, and way more secure.
Philip Stoelman, Founder and CEO of Network Republic
I’ve worked with network infrastructure for twenty years, and I’ve never seen anything that could change the game like quantum networking. What gets me most excited isn’t just the theoretical speeds, which could make today’s gigabit connections look like dial-up. It’s the big change in the way we think about security. Quantum key distribution might finally let us talk to each other in a way that can’t be hacked.
Setting up early quantum repeater testbeds has been both humbling and exciting for me. The technical problems are huge. Our biggest problem is keeping quantum coherence over long distances. But with each breakthrough, we get closer to a future with broadband where distance and security issues don’t matter.
Thinking about how quantum broadband could make it easier for everyone to get computing resources keeps me up at night. When any device can quickly connect to quantum processing power over the network, we’ll see new ideas come to life in ways we can’t even imagine right now. The gap between people who have access to technology and those who don’t won’t just get smaller; it could change the way things work.
Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer at QuEra
Quantum networking won’t make networks faster, but it can add new uses to existing fibre links. In the near term, it offers opportunity for distributing encryption keys more securely and to coordinate and secure sensor networks.
Longer term, as hardware matures, quantum networks could share ‘entanglement’ over distance, enabling unspoofable ID, ultra-precise time sync, distributed sensing, and eventually linking quantum computers across sites.
Gemma Martynwood, Partner at EIP
Widespread broadband connectivity has had a huge impact on how we live, work and connect. Quantum networking, which enables quantum information to be sent and received, is unlikely to cause a similar paradigm shift in the way we live our lives, as it is fundamentally reliant on being able to send classical information using existing networks. Nevertheless, the quantum internet can complement classical networking for particular use-cases, including some of the most important issues faced by humanity.
Quantum networking will be used to transmit quantum information in specific scenarios for which quantum properties offer a distinct edge over classical computing. The inherent quantum nature of qubits makes quantum computing the ideal platform for simulation of physical quantum systems, enabling new materials to be discovered, from new drugs to cure diseases that are currently incurable to novel manufacturing materials. The power of quantum computing has potential to tackle global challenges like climate change and energy and food security through advanced modelling.
A cluster of distributed quantum computers operating cooperatively via a quantum network promises to dramatically increase the compute power available, enabling a solution to be found for problems that cannot be solved practically using classical computing and existing broadband infrastructure.
Azfar Aslam, Vice President & CTO at NI Europe, Nokia
Quantum networking represents a transformative leap for broadband, promising a future defined by ultra-secure, high-capacity communication. Traditional networks, while powerful, are limited by classical data transmission methods. Quantum Networking uses quantum states of particles (like photons) to encode, transmit, and process information. It leverages the quantum principles of entanglement, superposition and no-cloning theorem.
Today, we already use quantum channels for specific quantum communications such as distribution of quantum key for enhanced security solutions. Similar developments will scale into broader quantum networking for applications such as distributed quantum computing and quantum internet. Efforts are underway to create hybrid networks where traditional data communications and quantum communications can happen on the same fibre network, albeit on different wavelengths.
At Nokia, we’re already delivering quantum safe networking, resistant to code breaking by a quantum computer. This started in Optical and IP networks, and will be introduced in future PON and wireless networks. In addition, we are actively researching how quantum technologies can integrate with existing infrastructures. The challenge lies in building hybrid classical-quantum networks that are cost-effective and reliable at scale. But the potential payoff is enormous: a broadband future that is faster, smarter, and fundamentally more secure.
