China Telecom, a state-owned company, has announced that its quantum technology unit successfully launched the world’s first commercial quantum-encrypted communication system. The company emphasized that this system is absolutely secure and completely invulnerable to any hacking attempts, including those from quantum computers.

China Telecom also successfully conducted the world’s first fully secure phone call using quantum encryption over a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers, connecting the capital Beijing with Hefei city. This achievement culminates the company’s efforts in establishing quantum networks covering 16 major cities, including Beijing, Hefei, and Shanghai, laying the groundwork for an integrated national infrastructure for secure quantum communications.

With the advancement of quantum computers, the ability to decrypt traditional security systems has become a matter of time. This pushed China to develop the quantum encryption system to counter this challenge and ensure communication security even against the most powerful quantum computers. This system relies on two main approaches: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) transmits encryption keys using photons according to the principles of quantum mechanics. Any interception attempt alters the state of the photons, allowing for immediate detection of the breach.

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), on the other hand, relies on highly complex mathematical problems believed to remain invulnerable even to quantum computers because they depend on concepts that quantum computers cannot efficiently solve. Unlike QKD, PQC does not require specialized hardware but is based on algorithms resistant to decryption using traditional computing power. By combining these two approaches, an unprecedented level of cybersecurity can be achieved in the post-quantum era.

According to Chinese newspapers, this system is already in use, underpinning two fundamental quantum platforms within the current infrastructure. The first is Quantum Secret, a secure messaging and collaboration service that uses quantum encryption to ensure the confidentiality of communications and exchanged files. The second, Quantum Cloud Seal, is a platform dedicated to managing approvals for official documents, audit trails, and workflows within organizations, ensuring the protection of sensitive data through quantum encryption technologies.

This project is more than just a technological development; it’s a long-term strategy aimed at ensuring information security and data protection from any potential breaches, even in the face of the most advanced quantum technologies. It also enhances China’s position as an independent technological power, providing it with a sophisticated infrastructure for secure communications and placing it at the forefront of the global quantum supremacy race.