India has demonstrated a 5.56 km quantum-secure communication link between BISAG-N in Gandhinagar and IIT Gandhinagar.
The technology used is called Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).
🔐 How does it work?
Instead of sending an ordinary digital encryption key, QKD uses the properties of quantum particles (photons) to create a secret key between two locations.
If someone tries to secretly intercept the quantum signal, the quantum state changes. This can reveal that the communication has been tampered with.
🇮🇳 Why is it important?
- 🛡️ Stronger cybersecurity for sensitive information
- 🏛️ Protection for government communications
- 💰 Potential protection for financial networks
- 🛰️ A step toward secure satellite communication
- 🌐 Could contribute to a future quantum-secure internet
⚛️ The key achievement
The demonstrated link covered 5.56 km, with a reported secure key generation rate of around 230–260 bits per second and a quantum bit error rate below 5%.