SK Telecom and Nokia have teamed up to conduct joint research and development in the field of quantum cryptography for network transport.
The operators are collaborating to achieve interworking between SK Telecom's Quantum Key Distribution System (QKD) and Nokia’s next-generation optical transport system by the second half of 2017.
The first prototype from the collaboration – the Quantum Transport System – was shown off at Nokia's booth at Mobile World Congress 2017 last week.
SK Telecom said quantum cryptography is expected to replace existing security mechanisms in all areas at risk of data hacking, including national defense, finance, autonomous vehicles and the IoT.
In line with this projection, SK Telecom and Nokia have also agreed to cooperate in the area of quantum random number generation, which will be required to apply quantum cryptography to IoT devices.
SK Telecom has developed a quantum random number generator within the world's smallest CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) based silicon, measuring just 5x5mm. The company expects to tape out engineering samples of the chip in the second quarter and commercially launch it by the end of the year.
“Since opening Quantum Tech Lab in 2011, SK Telecom has been making constant efforts to develop quantum cryptography technologies,” SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho said.
“Based on the cooperation with Nokia, SK Telecom will create a new paradigm and ecosystem in the field of ICT.”