Shares of quantum computing concept stock D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) rose 3.4% in Monday's late trading session after the company announced a broader agreement with telecom giant AT&T Inc. (T). The partnership will apply D-Wave's quantum annealing technology to solve complex optimization challenges in network operations. This news comes after the stock had declined for five consecutive weeks, resulting in a year-to-date loss of more than 35%.
Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T intends to integrate D-Wave's quantum annealing technology into its intelligent agent AI solutions. During initial testing, the D-Wave technology dramatically reduced the processing time for a network optimization task from approximately one hour to less than 15 seconds, achieving a speed improvement of about 240 times. AT&T stated that its intelligent agent tools have already helped reduce customer service interruption time by approximately 12 million hours in 2025.
Looking ahead, AT&T plans to apply D-Wave's technology to a wider range of network scenarios, including fault detection and response, technician route planning, network construction planning, and traffic management. Additionally, AT&T is evaluating the potential applications of D-Wave's upcoming gate-model system in the areas of quantum security and quantum communication.
D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz stated that this collaboration demonstrates how leading enterprises are turning to quantum computing to solve real-world business problems. He noted that AT&T recognizes the limitations of classical computing in complex optimization tasks and is quickly exploring the value of quantum technology.
The positive news from D-Wave also boosted other quantum computing-related stocks. Shares of IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and Quantum Computing all recorded gains on Monday. Benchmark initiated coverage of D-Wave on Monday with a "Buy" rating and a price target of $30.
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