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Quantum Internet Backbone Achieves First Intercontinental Connection: China-Japan-Korea QKD Link Operational

CAS, Japan's NICT, and Korea's ETRI completed Asia's first quantum internet backbone, enabling quantum key distribution across 5,000+ km via submarine cable connecting Shanghai, Tokyo, and Daejeon.

Quantum Internet Backbone Achieves First Intercontinental Connection: China-Jonesia-Korea QKD Link Operational

On March 1, 2028, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that the 'Asia Quantum Backbone' project, led by CAS's Key Lab of Quantum Information, completed its first intercontinental quantum key distribution (QKD) test. The network connects Shanghai, Tokyo, and Daejeon via submarine cable, spanning over 5,000 kilometers.

QKD uses quantum mechanics principles to achieve theoretically unbreakable encrypted communication. Previously, practical QKD distance was limited to about 100 km due to photon loss in optical fiber. The CAS team overcame this limitation by deploying 37 trusted relay nodes and three quantum satellite relay stations.

Technical Architecture

The Asia Quantum Backbone uses a three-layer architecture: submarine cables at the base layer (utilizing dark fibers in existing FASTER and SJC2 cables), ground-based trusted relay stations at the middle layer, and the Mozi-2 quantum satellite providing space-ground integrated links at the top layer.

CAS Academician Pan Jianwei stated: 'The core innovation is a hybrid relay strategy — fiber direct connection for short distances, trusted relays for medium distances, and satellite relays for long distances. This makes 5,000 km quantum communication practical for the first time.'

Commercial Prospects

China Telecom and Japan's NTT have signed agreements to launch commercial quantum-encrypted communication services based on the backbone by the end of 2028. Initial pricing is set at 50,000 yuan per Mbps per month, targeting financial institutions and government agencies.

SK Telecom plans to integrate quantum encryption into its 5G network, offering end-to-end quantum-secure communication to enterprise customers.

Challenges

Despite the breakthrough, quantum internet faces significant technical and economic challenges. Trusted relay nodes require physically secure environments with high construction costs. Current QKD rates are only a few thousand bits per second, far below traditional encryption speeds.

Director of Japan's NICT Quantum ICT Center stated: 'Quantum internet won't replace the traditional internet but will serve as a complementary security layer. Our goal is to bring QKD rates to Gbps by 2030.'