What Is It?
Quantum communication covers technologies that base the security of information directly on the laws of physics rather than on mathematical computational difficulty. In quantum key distribution (QKD), the principal method in this area, an encryption key is transmitted in such a way that any attempt to eavesdrop on the line measurably disturbs the transmission and is thereby detected. In the long term, the goal is a "quantum internet" made up of devices linked to one another at the quantum level. A complementary but separate approach, post-quantum cryptography (PQC), consists of new encryption algorithms that run on classical computers and are resistant to quantum attacks. QKD and PQC are positioned not as competitors but as solutions that complement each other at different layers.
Why Is It Important?
Some of the data transmitted or stored in encrypted form today carries the risk of being decrypted retroactively once a sufficiently powerful quantum computer is developed. Known as "harvest now, decrypt later," this threat places the security of critical infrastructure and long-lived confidential data at risk as of today. Although QKD offers strong security, it carries constraints in terms of hardware and range; for this reason, for large-scale and urgent protection, PQC — which can run on classical hardware — comes to the fore, while QKD is positioned as a complementary layer.
Objective In This Area
In the near term, the priority objective is the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), together with the establishment of QKD pilot and test set-ups and of QKD–PQC hybrid security infrastructures. Within this scope, secure quantum communication protocols and modules and cryptography resilient to quantum-computer threats are identified as priority topics; the focus is on developing national cryptographic and component capability. Supporting subsystem components such as precise time-synchronisation modules and quantum light sources, as well as the completion of the analysis and certification processes for QKD security protocols, are also among the objectives of this phase.
In the long term, technologies that will form the backbone of global quantum networks — such as quantum repeaters, quantum memory architectures, and quantum-resistant internet protocols — are regarded as strategic research priorities. The ultimate goal is to achieve a secure quantum internet infrastructure composed of devices interconnected at the quantum level, together with a distributed quantum computing capability. Activities are pursued in alignment with international initiatives such as NATO, EuroQCI, and the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA).