Denmark’s new quantum-secure network starts in a forest

In a forest near Sorø and at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Odense, DTU, SDU, and GlobalConnect is completing the first physical installations at each end of the initial stretch of what will become the country’s first quantum-secure communication network over the coming year. This is the digital equivalent of the first railway line in a railway network.

The network will extend over 200 km between locations in Copenhagen and Odense. It is part of the "Danish Quantum Communication Infrastructure" (QCI.DK) project, which is expected to be integrated into a larger European quantum network within a few years. The project in Denmark involves several ministries, universities, and private companies.

– It is absolutely crucial that the technology securing our safety does not fall into the wrong hands. In a time of war on European soil and a rapidly advancing global quantum race, it is important that we stay one step ahead. The quantum-secure communication network is a central tool in the government’s national strategy for quantum technology, aimed at maintaining Denmark's leadership in quantum technology development. Today represents a fundamental milestone towards a quantum-secure network, bringing us significantly closer to testing the technology's critical security benefits for Denmark, said Minister of Industry Morten Bødskov.

Quantum computers have immense computational power, which will fundamentally change the ability to perform complex calculations and models at unprecedented speeds. This technology can play a significant role in research areas like medicine and the development of sustainable solutions.

However, quantum technology can also break the codes and encryptions that currently protect our critical infrastructure from cyberattacks and keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands. This poses a threat that demands entirely new security measures regarding communication.

The milestone in the upcoming quantum-secure network is the establishment of a link between the University of Southern Denmark in Odense and a cabin hidden in a forest near Sorø. This will be the longest segment in the network, which will later extend to several locations in Copenhagen.

Quantum Technology Will Be the New Industrial Revolution

– This is the first physical manifestation of the project and can be compared to building Denmark's first railway when the railway network was first constructed. Once the physical infrastructure is established, we can use quantum-secured encryption keys to ensure communication between multiple parties on the line without external eavesdropping, explains Tobias Gehring, project leader and associate professor at DTU.

The quantum-secure network will become part of the existing fiber network that connects us to the internet.

– Quantum technology will be the new industrial revolution, as significant or even greater than the AI wave we're experiencing now. At the same time, the technology will open doors to sensitive data wide open if we don't build a secure digital infrastructure. It will be a fundamental principle for a secure society to ensure that you can safely send a message across Denmark and Europe that cannot be cracked by quantum computers, says Martin Lippert, CEO of GlobalConnect, owner of the fiber network that the quantum-secure network is being integrated into.

– The industrial quantum revolution comes with fantastic opportunities to use quantum computers to create advancements in virtually all industrial sectors, even beyond what we can dream of today. But it also comes with a threat to our data communication. Fortunately, quantum physics also offers a solution in the form of quantum communication, which even a quantum computer cannot break. The link between SDU and Sorø is the first major step in the national network that will securely connect us with the rest of the world, says Jørgen Ellegaard Andersen, professor of quantum mathematics at SDU.

The establishment of the country’s first quantum-secure communication network is a collaboration between ministries, the research community, and private industry.

– In Denmark, we have quantum research environments of absolute world-class, and this project demonstrates that there is a path from research to new solutions in society that we can all benefit from. When it comes to our security, it is crucial that we can communicate without unauthorized eavesdropping. Therefore, this is an extremely important project, taking the first steps towards future-proofing our critical infrastructure and communication in society, says Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund.

This milestone is the first physical manifestation of the quantum-secure network. The first quantum-secure communication on the network is expected to take place around the turn of the year.