SK telecom to launch subscription-based quantum-safe communication service

[Courtesy of SK telecom]

South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK telecom Co. will launch a subscription-based service that allows users to use quantum-safe communications by paying a monthly fee.

SK telecom announced on Thursday that it will launch quantum key distribution as a Service (QaaS), a subscription-based quantum-safe communication service, in partnership with quantum company IDQ.

QaaS was first applied to global data center company Equinix Inc.’s SL1 Data Center in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. It is used to secure data centers that store large amounts of data and run artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

SK telecom said it has also worked with Nokia Corp. to reduce usage costs by more than 10 percent.

The company plans to expand QaaS going forward, focusing on customers that require high security, such as in the public, medical, and financial sectors.