SK Telecom (SKT) revealed its strategic initiative to spearhead the advancement of quantum-safe communication standards.
This effort will take place at the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 17 (SG17) meeting, scheduled from the present day until September 8, 2023. The event is being held at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX).
ITU-T SG17, a pivotal arm of the ITU-T, is dedicated to the intricate domain of security. This statutory group convenes biannually to orchestrate the formulation of international benchmarks and technical documentation pertaining to security measures.
At this milestone gathering, SKT is set to assume a pivotal leadership role in devising standards concerning the key management of hybrid methodologies encompassing quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
Notably, this trajectory builds upon the company's successful proposition during the prior SG17 assembly in the first half of the ongoing year.
The focal ambition of this endeavor is to actualize quantum-safe communications by synergistically harnessing the capabilities of QKD and PQC.
Quantum-safe communication denotes the utilization of technologies and methodologies impervious to quantum computer-driven breaches. These mechanisms are engineered to ensure the safeguarding of critical information assets even amidst the hypothetical advent of a quantum computer of significant scale.
In a remarkable endeavor, SK Telecom is presently immersed in the conceptualization of a holistic solution that harmonizes the coexistence of QKD and PQC.
By seamlessly interfacing network sections equipped with QKD and those fortified by PQC, this innovative solution envisages the safeguarding of the entire communication continuum against quantum-based threats.
This approach can further be fortified by the concurrent application of QKD and PQC within specific network segments to yield an optimal level of security.
An illustrative instance would be securing communication routes from data centers to smartphones.
In this scenario, QKD could be strategically employed in sections encompassing fixed-line networks (such as the path from data center to internet, central office, and base station), while wireless network segments (like base station to smartphones) could be fortified with PQC, thereby fortifying end-to-end communication efficacy.
Concomitant to its global standards-setting role, SK Telecom is an active proponent of quantum cryptography technology development and commercialization.
Through partnerships with entities such as SK Broadband and ID Quantique, a global leader in quantum-safe security solutions, SKT is not only pioneering standards for quantum cryptography communication networks operating with heterogeneous equipment, validated by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), but has also successfully validated the related technology on a national test network.
In a landmark achievement, SK Telecom has ventured into the commercialization of PQC within virtual private networks (VPNs) for countries including the United States, Japan, and Singapore. This stride has been achieved through the deployment of algorithms deemed highly likely to evolve into international PQC standards.
Based on its R&D efforts in quantum cryptography communication technology, the company successfully applied QKD to the Seoul-Daejeon section – the most data traffic-concentrated section in Korea – of its 5G and LTE networks in 2019. It has also won quantum cryptography communication projects in the global market such as the U.S., Europe, and Singapore.
