New Mexico’s ABQ-Net has become the first open-access, quantum entanglement-based network in the United States, hosting four quantum companies testing next-generation communication technologies over leased internet service provider fiber cables, according to project backers.
Quantum Key Distribution Tested Over Leased Albuquerque Fiber
The 50-kilometer network uses leased ISP fiber cables looped between telephone poles, subjecting the infrastructure to real-world environmental stresses rather than controlled laboratory conditions, according to Aliro CTO Michael Cubeddu. Massachusetts-based Aliro is running production-ready quantum key distribution, or QKD, which experts view as quantum communication’s most practical application. “A router can say, ‘Hey, I need a quantum key,’ and then it requests our stack,” Cubeddu said, explaining that Aliro utilizes the 1992 BBM92 protocol alongside Qunnect hardware.
Qunnect supplies custom-built lasers and rubidium vapor situated at two locations along ABQ-Net. Photons are flung across the network of aerial fiber spanning telephone poles. According to Qunnect Chief Science Officer Mehdi Namazi, ABQ-Net is 100% open to universities, national labs, and researchers free of charge.
Security Advantages and the Observer Effect
An inherent advantage of QKD is that eavesdroppers cannot intercept symmetric keys without altering them, due to the observer effect in quantum physics where observation collapses superposition into a single, definite state, according to project participants. “No man in the middle, no adversary can learn the key without being detected,” Cubeddu said.
This reliance on hardware physics rather than math addresses emerging vulnerabilities in mathematical algorithms. Cubeddu noted Anthropic’s discovery of a weakness in a proposed post-quantum-safe signature scheme as evidence that math-based security algorithms lack absolute guarantees. Alireza Shabani, founder of Cisco Quantum Lab and advisor for the Center for Quantum Networking, emphasized the need to hedge against risks like the “harvest now, decrypt later” problem, stating that since the security of post-quantum cryptography against quantum computers and AI cannot be proven, investing in quantum cryptography makes sense.
Hardware Challenges and the Distance Limitation
Despite its security profile, QKD faces physical limitations, notably that photons degrade after traveling roughly 150 kilometers using existing technology. Celia Merzbacher, executive director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, explained that while QKD functions between banks in New York City and branches in New Jersey, longer distances are currently unfeasible due to a lack of quantum repeaters.
Without quantum repeaters to extend entanglement over long distances, QKD shifts cybersecurity risk from software to hardware. Alternative relay node models require users to explicitly trust those nodes, while researchers have identified potential hardware attacks including quantum Trojan horses and photon-number-splitting attacks. To mitigate predictability, Qunnect uses rubidium as a photon source because the timing of photon creation is random, making it harder for attackers to predict when entangled pairs will eject, according to Namazi. Namazi predicted that room-temperature quantum repeaters will be achievable in approximately five years, enabling QKD to stretch over meaningful distances such as Boston to Washington, D.C.
Pro Tip: Organizations evaluating QKD are currently targeting data center-to-data center communications and critical infrastructure like financial networks and utility grids, where high concentrations of sensitive data justify physics-based security rollouts, according to Aliro CTO Michael Cubeddu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ABQ-Net?
ABQ-Net is described by its backers as the first open-access, quantum entanglement-based network in the United States, utilizing 50 kilometers of leased ISP fiber in New Mexico for testing by universities, national labs, and quantum companies.
Why is quantum key distribution considered secure?
QKD relies on the observer effect in quantum physics, meaning any attempt by an adversary to intercept or observe the key collapses the quantum superposition and is automatically detected.
What are the current distance limitations for QKD?
Photons degrade after roughly 150 kilometers using existing technology, limiting long-distance deployment until quantum repeaters become widely available.
Who is currently testing technologies on ABQ-Net?
Four quantum companies, including Aliro, are testing next-generation quantum communication technologies on the Albuquerque network.
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