Cisco has announced a breakthrough in quantum networking technology that could bring practical quantum computing and networking applications forward by decades, potentially realizing the quantum internet within 5 to 10 years. Central to this effort is the launch of Cisco’s Quantum Network Entanglement Chip—a research prototype designed to scale quantum networks by generating entangled photon pairs for instantaneous quantum connections regardless of distance.
Developed in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara, the chip operates at standard telecom wavelengths, enabling use with existing fiber optic infrastructure. It functions at room temperature as a miniaturized photonic integrated chip (PIC), is highly energy efficient (under 1mW), and delivers up to 200 million high-fidelity entangled pairs per second. This makes it practical for real-world scalable deployment today.
Alongside the chip, Cisco opened Cisco Quantum Labs in Santa Monica, California, a dedicated facility where scientists and engineers develop next-gen quantum networking components such as entanglement distribution protocols, a distributed quantum compiler, Quantum Network Development Kit (QNDK), and Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG). Cisco is also advancing Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards to secure classical networks against future quantum threats.
Mohannad Abuissa, Cisco’s Director of Solutions Engineering for Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS, emphasized that this initiative is not just futuristic preparation but poised to deliver breakthroughs in security, communication, and computing now.
Cisco’s quantum networking roadmap focuses on two strategic fronts:
- Quantum Network for the Quantum World: Building infrastructure to interconnect quantum processors at scale, enabling distributed quantum computing and transformative applications in fields like drug discovery and complex logistics.
- Quantum Network for the Classical World: Applying quantum networking principles to classical systems immediately, enabling secure communications, ultra-precise timing, decision signaling, and secure location verification.
Cisco’s holistic approach combines proprietary hardware like the entanglement chip with a full software stack, creating a vendor-agnostic networking fabric compatible with diverse quantum computing technologies, accelerating the growth of the quantum ecosystem globally.
