Quantum-Secured Video Conference Demonstrated in Germany

(Photonics) QuNET, a project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), demonstrated a quantum-secured video call August 10. The call represents a milestone for the project, the goal of which is the application-oriented development of the physical-technical fundamentals as well as the necessary technologies for highly secure communication networks under real conditions using quantum physics.
The setup of the first quantum-based videoconference between BMBF and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) used multiple free-space and fiber quantum channels. Aside from the video conference aspect of the demonstration, the setup also needed to produce scientific data that could provide important insights for communication in future complex quantum-secure networks.
At the end of last year, the research organizations involved in the initiative — the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Max Planck Society, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) — presented important basic principles for modern and secure communication systems for quantum-safe communication, as well as possibilities for exchanging quantum keys over long, medium, and short distances using free-space and fiber systems. The BSI is supporting the QuNET initiative and is preparing accompanying and independent test criteria in international cooperation.