SKT to develop 'next-generation quantum cryptography technology' with three EU countries... First Asian private company to do so

*This content was translated by AI.

SK Telecom announced on the 9th that it is developing next-generation quantum cryptography technology under the European Union's 'Horizon Europe' program.

Horizon Europe is a representative research fund operated by the EU, and SK Telecom has become the first Asian private company to receive Horizon research funding based on its expertise in the field of quantum cryptography.

This project is a multinational collaboration with three European countries and will proceed over the next three years. South Korea joined as an associate member last July, enabling it to receive direct budget support from Europe.

To strengthen communication security, SK Telecom will implement and demonstrate a next-generation 'QPIC-AI' based quantum key distribution (QKD) system. QKD is a technology that generates and distributes quantum cryptographic keys simultaneously on both sides exchanging signals based on quantum mechanical properties.

The moment a third party attempts to intercept the signal in the middle, the physical state of the quantum changes, making hacking theoretically impossible. It is regarded as having the highest level of security among existing encryption systems.

However, there are limitations to its widespread adoption. Precision optical components must be assembled and aligned individually as separate equipment, making the system large and heavy. There is also a burden of construction costs. This is why miniaturization of QKD systems and reduction of construction costs are considered key challenges for expanding the quantum cryptography communication market.

The 'QPIC-AI' being developed by SK Telecom aims to replace large-scale optical equipment with a single chip, similar to how smartphone camera modules have compressed entire camera systems into one chip in the past.

Ryu Tak-gi, SK Telecom's Network Technology Director, said, "Winning this Horizon project is an opportunity to confirm SK Telecom's research and development capabilities in quantum cryptography technology," and added, "We expect the experience and achievements gained through multinational cooperation to greatly contribute to the future development of domestic quantum technology."

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*This content was translated by AI.