SKT and KISTI Jointly Develop Digital Twin Interoperability Technology for Quantum Cryptography Communication Network

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SKT and KISTI Jointly Develop Digital Twin Interoperability Technology for Quantum Cryptography Communication Network

Published2026.09.22 09:43

Real-time Interoperability of QKD Simulator and Key Management System Based on ETSI International Standard

SK Telecom (SKT) and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) have jointly developed digital twin-based interoperability technology that enables pre-verification of performance and operational feasibility in a virtual environment before actually constructing a quantum cryptography communication network. The key achievement is securing interoperability and scalability between independently developed systems from different institutions by applying an interface compatible with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) international standard.

SKT and KISTI unveiled the technology on September 22 at ECOC (European Conference on Optical Communication) 2026, which runs from September 21 in Malaga, Spain.

This technology was developed through the Ministry of Science and ICT's "QKD Network Efficiency Expansion and Resource Optimization Element Technology" and "Quantum Cryptography Communication Network Technology Development Based on National Research Infrastructure" projects, with the exhibition held at the SK Broadband booth.

Real-time Interoperability of QKD Simulator and Key Management System

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a technology that generates and transmits cryptographic keys using quantum mechanics principles.

Quantum cryptography communication networks face limitations in that physical conditions such as optical cable length and optical loss are difficult to change retroactively and equipment costs are high, making it challenging to test various configurations in advance.

The two institutions implemented this verification process in a virtual environment.

The core of the technology is the real-time interoperability between SKT's quantum key management system and KISTI's QKD simulator through an ETSI international standard-compatible interface.

When the key management system requests a quantum key, the simulator virtually implements actual equipment characteristics and surrounding environmental conditions such as communication distance, optical loss, reception efficiency, and post-processing algorithms, and delivers the generated quantum key along with performance and status information in real-time.

The two institutions explained that equipment placement and configuration values verified in the virtual environment can be directly applied to the actual operational environment, functioning as a digital twin.

Flexible Operational Structure Based on Containers and Kubernetes

SKT implemented the quantum key management system in a container method that is not dependent on specific hardware or virtual machines, and deployed and operates it with Kubernetes (K8s).

Kubernetes is an open-source platform that automatically handles the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications distributed across multiple servers.

Due to this structure, the key management system can be operated flexibly in accordance with various network environments and scenarios created by the simulator.

KISTI developed a QKD simulator that virtually reproduces various conditions such as communication distance and optical loss.

The two institutions stated that this is the first time a quantum key management system and QKD simulator independently developed by different institutions have been interoperated and publicly verified.

They also highlighted that the application of an ETSI standard-based interface enables future interoperability with quantum cryptography equipment developed by other institutions and companies, securing scalability.

Taek-Ki Ryu, SKT's Network Technology Manager, stated, "Through the integration of our Kubernetes-based key management system and QKD simulator, we can now flexibly verify various network environments and key management functions. We will continue to build a highly scalable quantum cryptography communication network operational environment."

Joong-Seok Song, Director of KISTI's Network Future Technology Research Division, said, "We have established a foundation to virtually implement a quantum cryptography communication environment and verify it in interoperability with an actual key management system. We will develop this into a core technology that enhances interoperability and scalability."

#디지털 트윈 #SKT #쿠버네티스 #QKD #양자암호통신 #ETSI #양자키분배 #키관리 시스템 #KISTI

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