Summary
In 2017, a quantum-secured video call linked Beijing and Vienna over 7,600 km. The session used about 560 kilobits of key material per minute to refresh AES-128 keys every second. Those keys came from quantum states carried by photons from the Micius satellite, making any eavesdropping attempt detectable.
That demo has since evolved into the world’s largest operational quantum communication network in China. It now spans more than 12,000 km of fiber with 145 backbone nodes across 80 cities in 17 provinces, interconnected with two quantum satellites and serving hundreds of government agencies, banks, and state-owned enterprises. The effort began with the 2,032 km Beijing–Shanghai backbone built over 42 months, using 32 trusted relay nodes and 135 QKD links.
The article provides a comprehensive timeline through early 2026, covering major deployments, satellite missions, protocol milestones, and records. It also weighs a strategic question for security leaders: is carrier-grade QKD a visionary bet on information-theoretic security, or an expensive hedge in a world where post-quantum cryptography is advancing quickly? Regardless, the scale and operational maturity mark a new benchmark that CISOs and cyber teams should watch closely.
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See the original article at: https://postquantum.com/quantum-networks/china-quantum-networking-qkd/