KT announced on the 3rd that it has developed quantum cryptographic key distribution equipment capable of generating 300,000 encryption keys per second (300kbps). Quantum cryptographic key distribution equipment utilizes quantum mechanical properties to make encryption keys impossible to replicate, fundamentally blocking attempts at eavesdropping on physical lines.

Following the launch of equipment capable of 150,000 bits per second (150kbps) in 2024, KT has more than doubled its encryption key generation rate in just over a year and a half. This equipment is described as the fastest domestically developed quantum cryptography key distribution system and boasts performance comparable to that of major global manufacturers.

The company explains that when applied to a communications network, quantum encryption keys can be supplied to more than 70,000 encryption devices per minute.

Quantum key distribution systems have limitations in that the quantum state can be destroyed by dispersion or scattering due to the nature of using single photons. To address this, KT announced that it has developed an error reduction filter and related system to increase the speed of encryption key generation and system reliability.

KT conducted a technology verification with related domestic organizations, including the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and the National Intelligence Service (NIA), at the end of last year, and also conducted a joint verification with the research team of Professor Heo Jun of the Telecommunications and Information Systems Laboratory at Korea University.

KT believes that this error reduction technology can also be utilized in the field of quantum internet, a next-generation network.

Lee Jong-sik, head of KT Network Research Center, said, “We plan to contribute to the creation of a domestic quantum industry ecosystem through the development and transfer of our own quantum communication technology, and to continue research to secure future quantum internet-related technologies.”