A quantum communication test bed will be deployed in Quebec. The opportunities for this technology could one day enhance the security of computer communications.
The project, which will be named Kirq, in honor of the character from the Star Trek series, will be deployed in the cities of Montreal, Sherbrooke and Quebec. Companies will be able to carry out tests on the network managed by the non-profit organization Numana.
Its president and CEO, François Borrelli, gives the example of financial institutions that could carry out tests on communication security. “We approached banks,” he explains on the sidelines of the announcement of financial support from the federal government and Quebec. We start talking to them. We tell them: “it’s time to start securing this”. »
“This test bench will allow banks to test outside their network, with suppliers, people they know, on a test bench that even if it crashes, it’s not as serious as That. »
The development of quantum communication could lead to the development of a means of transmitting information that would be more secure under the laws of quantum physics, explains Martin Laforest, director of quantum strategy for the ACET incubator, which advised Numana in his project.
In theory, the law of physics would ensure that a person who attempted to intercept a quantum communication would cause disturbances that would be perceptible, he explains on the sidelines of the announcement. It would therefore be possible to check whether the communication channel is secure before transmitting information. “Basically, you can’t measure or watch quantum behavior without disrupting it. »
Quantum communication would therefore offer greater confidentiality than the encryption technology used today. Moreover, the development of the quantum computer will inevitably create a breach in the armor of encrypted communications, solving the complex mathematics that protects information. “Once they’re built big enough [les ordinateurs quantiques], our security today is outdated, warns Mr. Laforest. It takes alternatives. »
“We are returning to securing information by using nature [les lois physiques de l’informatique quantique] rather than mathematics which are potentially solvable, he summarizes. You can’t change nature’s behavior. »
Aid of nearly $10 million
The federal government and Quebec announced on Monday that they would respectively provide support of $3.6 million and $6.5 million for this $13 million project.
Quebec has identified quantum computing as a promising sector for the economy, underlines the Minister of the Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon. He gave as an example the recent launch of IBM’s quantum computer in Bromont.
The Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, stressed that the quantum computing sector could lead to the creation of 229,000 jobs in Canada by 2040, including 45,000 in Quebec.
South Korea and China already have commercial quantum communications networks. Canada would not be late, but “it is time for us to move today,” says Mr. Borrelli.
“There are none yet in North America that are made [des réseaux commerciaux], so it would possibly be available. You just have to find the right business models. The test bench also serves to inform users, such as banks, that they can use these technologies. »