In Tatarstan, the first in Russia multi-node computer network using quantum cryptography technologies was launched. The main advantage of such networks is that it is almost impossible to intercept information from them using traditional methods.
The Izvestia newspaper writes about the launch in Russia of the first section of the "quantum Internet" with reference to the scientists who implemented it. According to them, this is a pilot project, the main task of which is to field test the technology by integrating quantum channels into the existing telecommunications infrastructure.
The main theoretical advantage of quantum networks over conventional networks is eavesdropping. Standard binary code, in which the data is encrypted with a key-sequence of bits, is not so reliable. Quantum cryptography uses quantum key distribution technology, which is based on the unique subatomic properties of photons. A beam of photons is sent from the receiver to the transmitter, which are in certain quantum states that characterize the cryptographic key. If someone tries to intercept the key, the act of intercepting changes the quantum state of the photon, alerting users to a security breach.
The pilot project in Tatarstan is being implemented based on the original developments of Russian scientists. According to Arthur Gleim, head of the laboratory of practical quantum cryptography at the Kazan quantum center, the cost of a set of equipment for connecting two points is now about $ 100,000. In the future, with the development of technology and production, the cost of the solution should significantly decrease.
The first working data transmission system of this kind was built by the founders of quantum cryptography Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassart at the IBM Research Center in 1989. In it, signals were transmitted by a laser through an air channel. Later, a similar system was created, but using optical fiber, traditional for modern data transmission networks. The quantum data transmission networks existing in the world today are limited to speeds of several megabits per second and a distance of several tens of kilometers.
Read more about quantum cryptography on Wikipedia.