KT "First Domestic Telecom to Achieve 1km Wireless Quantum Encryption Transmission"

Meaning of the Longest Domestic Distance

KT announced on the 17th that it has succeeded in wireless quantum cryptography transmission over the longest domestic distance of 1 km. The photo shows researchers from KT Convergence Technology Institute monitoring wireless quantum signals at the Han River. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT announced on the 17th that it has succeeded in wireless quantum encryption transmission over the longest domestic distance of 1km, becoming the first domestic telecommunications company to achieve this.

Quantum encryption communication is a next-generation communication technology that encrypts and transmits information by embedding it in photons, the smallest units of light. Only the sender and receiver can decrypt the information, providing security strong enough to withstand attacks from quantum computers. It is currently considered one of the most important technologies in the global technological supremacy competition.

KT succeeded in wireless quantum encryption transmission over a 1km section from the north end to the south end of Dongjak Bridge on the Han River, securing core technologies such as quantum transmission in free space and long-distance precision targeting. Previously, domestic research on wireless quantum encryption communication was limited to a 300m section, but KT verified the technology over a 1km section, more than three times the previous distance, in a wireless environment where technical difficulty is higher than wired due to various atmospheric conditions and the challenges of ultra-precise targeting.

Quantum encryption communication is divided into wired and wireless types depending on how the quantum channel is configured. The wired method generates and distributes quantum encryption keys by connecting optical cables between fixed points, while the wireless method can provide quantum encryption communication in places where optical cable installation is difficult, such as mountainous terrain or island areas, or to mobile objects where optical cables cannot be connected.

With KT's achievement of wireless quantum encryption transmission over the longest domestic distance, it is expected to contribute to the expansion of defense, aviation, and space industries, where concerns about stability and security are significant. In particular, quantum encryption communication can be utilized for secure communication for urban air mobility (UAM), drones, and other urban-type mobile objects, as well as for high-altitude long-distance mobile objects such as aircraft and satellites. KT has developed wired quantum encryption communication solutions with its own technology and has continuously transferred related technologies to domestic small and medium-sized enterprises.

Recently, KT has been striving to provide stable quantum encryption services by developing a high-speed quantum encryption communication system with a quantum key generation rate of 20kbps, conducting the longest domestic demonstration between Seoul and Busan, and evaluating the quality of quantum encryption services.

Lee Jong-sik, head of the Infrastructure DX Research Institute at KT Convergence Technology Institute, said, "KT has secured not only wired but also wireless quantum encryption communication technology," adding, "We will play a role in protecting the safety of communication infrastructure, the national economic and social platform, with a dense quantum encryption security system covering both sky and land."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.