• Telcos around the world are examining ways to protect network traffic from anticipated quantum computing threats
• Telia has collaborated with Finland’s QMill on enabling quantum-safe communications in wireless networks

To the lengthening list of names that could help telcos with their quantum-safe networking strategies, add two-year-old quantum algorithm and software developer QMill.

The Espoo, Finland-based startup has collaborated with Telia Finland to develop quantum-enhanced message encryption for mobile networks in an effort to protect messages travelling over mobile network infrastructure from “attacks carried out using either classical or quantum resources”, the companies have announced.

The initial focus of the work has been to develop technology that can secure military wireless communications – the encryption method has been demonstrated to the Finnish Defence Forces – but the partners believe it has broader and more general applicability: QMill noted that it will work with Telia to “expand the newly demonstrated point-to-point connection with quantum-enhanced security to a wide variety of use cases as part of their ongoing collaboration project.”

The work with QMill fits with Telia’s increasingly close relationship with military organisations in the Nordics – see this announcement with Nokia and the Finnish defence forces and this announcement with Ericsson and the Swedish armed forces, for example.

”The security of our networks is becoming more crucial, especially for our mission-critical customers,” noted Jari Collin, head of customer segment defence at Telia Finland. “In this first demonstration with QMill we focused on the most critical part of our network, but this method could be applied more widely and, in the long-term, it could potentially establish a new standard for encrypted communications,” added Collin.

QMill CEO and co-founder Hannu Kauppinen added: “It is important that we were able to include Telia as a telecom operator in this phase. We will continue developing our quantum-enhanced security method with the objective of making it available as a standalone product, while also using it to complement other encryption methods by adding an additional layer of security.” 

As QMill’s location suggests, it has links to Nokia: CEO Kauppinen previously spent more than 26 years at the Finnish telecom vendor giant in multiple senior roles – latterly as CTO of Nokia Technologies – before QMill was formed, while former Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark has been on the company’s board for the past year. 

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV