Toshiba, Numana Collaborate to Strengthen Kirq Quantum Communication Testbed Capabilities in Quebec

Insider Brief

• Toshiba and Numana announced a strategic collaboration to enhance the Kirq quantum communication testbed in the Province of Quebec.
• The partnership will further leverage cutting-edge quantum technologies like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology to ensure secure communications.
• The Kirq testbed is live in Sherbrooke with two additional hubs to be launched in Montreal this summer and in Quebec City by early 2025.

PRESS RELEASE — Toshiba and Numana are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration to enhance the Kirq quantum communication testbed in the Province of Quebec. This evolving relationship will contribute to expanding the characteristics of Kirq’s real-world telco-grade infrastructure in capacity and distance. It will further leverage cutting-edge quantum technologies like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology to ensure secure communications.

The Kirq testbed is already live in Sherbrooke with two additional hubs to be launched in Montreal this summer and in Quebec City by early 2025. This multi-hub testbed utilizes Toshiba’s state-of-the-art QKD equipment in a multi-vendor open testbed network build-out, ensuring robust and versatile infrastructure. Kirq’s scalable and adaptable platform and multi-partner approach aim towards a quantum-secure vision for next-generation networks.

Toshiba will play a strategic role in bringing its worldwide credibility to Kirq. From a product evolution perspective, activities with Kirq are set to accelerate Toshiba’s system development and testing in the field. Toshiba and Numana will also prepare early adopters use cases to enable customers to test them out in real-life conditions on the Kirq testbed.

Hiroaki Tezuka, Expert QKD Business Development Office, Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (TDSL), and Jacques McNeill, Coordinator, Quantum Communication Initiative, Numana, will deliver a keynote presentation on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Inside Quantum Technology Conference in Vancouver, BC. The session, titled “Leveraging the Kirq Network to Test and Prepare for the Quantum Future,” will delve into the strategic importance of the Kirq network and its role in preparing for a quantum future.

“We are excited to collaborate with Numana on this groundbreaking project,” said Hiroaki Tezuka. “Our QKD technology will provide unparalleled security for the Kirq network, ensuring that Quebec’s key cities are at the forefront of quantum communications.”

Jacques McNeill added, “Partnering with Toshiba allows us to bring advanced and secure network solutions to the Kirq testbed and offer it to the global quantum ecosystem. This collaboration is a significant step towards building a future-proof communication infrastructure that will benefit businesses and residents alike.”

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the advancement of quantum communications technology and underscores Toshiba and Numana’s commitment to innovation and security.