Quantum Corridor, in partnership with Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) and Toshiba Corp., announced on Monday the successful completion of a high-speed quantum-safe network trial on a live commercial network in the U.S. Midwest. This trial marks the first demonstration of 1.6 Tb/s quantum-safe optical encryption technology in a real-world business environment.
The test was carried out on Quantum Corridor's existing production network between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. It validated a 1.6 Tb/s encrypted connection built on the Ciena Waveserver platform, powered by WaveLogic 6 Extreme chips. This connection operated alongside existing WaveLogic 5 Extreme 800 Gb/s encrypted traffic on the same RLS photonic line system.
The trial also demonstrated interoperability with the Toshiba QKD server, with the QKD system supplying quantum-generated keys to Ciena's optical encryption system. The solution uses a hybrid security architecture, supporting both NIST-approved post-quantum cryptography algorithms and quantum key distribution technology. This dual-path approach allows network operators to address the threat posed by quantum computers to existing encryption, particularly "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, while offering enterprises and service providers a path to migrate to quantum-safe networks without requiring a full-scale infrastructure replacement.
Ryan Lafler, President and CTO of Quantum Corridor, stated: "Quantum-safe networks are no longer a future discussion. By simultaneously validating 1.6 Tb/s encrypted connections with PQC and QKD on our live network, we show we can help customers transition to quantum-safe solutions while continuing to support bandwidth demands for AI, cloud, and mission-critical applications."
Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President of Global R&D at Ciena, noted that this milestone demonstrates high-speed optical encryption using PQC and/or QKD can be readily deployed in real network environments, helping customers protect critical data while preparing for the threat of quantum computers. Terry Cronin, Vice President of Toshiba Corp., emphasized that QKD complements post-quantum cryptography by adding a physical layer of security, and that both can be deployed together in high-speed optical networks, offering organizations a practical path to quantum-safe communications.
As governments and corporations worldwide accelerate planning for the post-quantum era, the U.S. and other nations have issued directives requiring information systems to transition to NIST-approved PQC standards. The success of this trial provides a viable migration path for critical infrastructure operators and enterprises, demonstrating that quantum-safe data protection can be achieved using existing commercial networks.
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