Toshiba Announces Quantum Key Distribution Speed Five Times Faster than Previous Record

(IEEESpectrum) One advanced method of cryptographic protection of sensitive information close to commercialization is quantum key distribution (QKD). Recently, Toshiba and Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) at Tohoku University announced that they have achieved, for the first time, an average key distribution speed greater than 10 megabits per second over a one-month period. This is roughly five times as fast as the previous fastest QKD speed of 1.9 Mbps established by Toshiba Research Europe in 2016.
QKD employs a feature of quantum mechanics known as the uncertainty principle to ensure transmitted key data cannot be interfered with by an outside party without irreversibly altering the data.