South Korea picks telecoms operator KT to run two of three quantum test hubs

Image: Original reporting by Cho Yun-Jin for Seoul Economic Daily · en.sedaily.com South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT will expand its quantum communication testing infrastructure with three new hubs, commercial, overseas and future, targeting completion by 2028. Building on testbeds established along the Seoul, Pangyo and Daejeon corridor since 2024, the project will see KT lead development of the commercial and future hubs, while SK Broadband focuses on overseas expansion. “To speed up the commercialization of quantum technology, it is important to broaden the testing infrastructure so that companies can verify their technology and products in a variety of environments,” according to an MSIT official. The three-year initiative will invest 7.4 billion won this year, combining government funding with private sector contributions. KT and SK Broadband Lead Expansion of Quantum Testbeds KT will extend the existing quantum test network to include Daegu this year, with planned expansions to Gwangju and Busan in the following year, and ultimately reaching the Gangwon region by 2028. This phased rollout aims to facilitate the application of quantum cryptography communications to critical data transmission in sectors like research, healthcare and finance, while simultaneously verifying the compatibility of equipment produced by various domestic manufacturers. The strategic expansion beyond the initial Seoul, Pangyo, and Daejeon corridor reflects a deliberate effort to broaden the accessibility and relevance of the testing infrastructure for a wider range of industries and potential users. SK Broadband is tasked with establishing the overseas hub, focusing on cross-border quantum security testing through connections with existing quantum testbeds in Singapore, Poland and Bulgaria. This international collaboration will employ quantum key distribution (QKD) for domestic and short-range overseas segments, while using cryptography (PQC) for long-haul international connections.Advertisement Researchers will test the transmission of research data and the protection of data related to emerging technologies like urban air mobility (UAM), alongside assessing the viability of deploying domestic quantum technology internationally. The project’s scope extends beyond mere technological demonstration. It seeks to validate the real-world applicability and export potential of Korean-developed quantum solutions. The future hub led by KT will concentrate on developing a testing environment for quantum communications technologies, including long-distance wireless quantum cryptography communications and the distribution of quantum entanglement across multiple locations. The entire project, spanning from this year through 2028, represents a total investment of 7.4 billion won, with 3.75 billion won provided by government funding and 3.65 billion won contributed by the private sector. This public-private partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to accelerating the advancement of quantum communications technology and establishing South Korea as a leader in this rapidly evolving field. The division between KT and SK Broadband, with KT focusing on the commercial and future hubs and SK Broadband spearheading the overseas hub, suggests a strategic approach to both domestic market penetration and international expansion. To speed up the commercialization of quantum technology, it is important to broaden the testing infrastructure so that companies can verify their technology and products in a variety of environments. Source: https://en.sedaily.com/technology/2026/10/21/korea-expands-quantum-communications-testbeds-to-three-hubs More like thisQuantum SecurityToshiba launches a platform to protect networks from future quantum attacksQuantum CryptographyBlack Kite maps vendor readiness for quantum encryptionQuantum Research NewsSimulations show gains with a hybrid quantum repeater chainQuantum CryptographyNearly all mobile apps lack quantum-safe encryption, NowSecure findsStay currentSee today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals. Tags: Ivy Delaney Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing.

For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release. Latest Posts by Ivy Delaney: London college, NVision & Gold Standard Phantoms’ CHARM standardizes MRI scans October 22, 2026 Toshiba launches a platform to protect networks from future quantum attacks October 22, 2026 Vulcan, UNC-Chapel Hill Partner to Advance Magnet Innovation October 22, 2026