SpeQtral and Rivada Space Networks to Develop Ultra-Secure Communications for Government and Enterprise

Aerospace and Defense Review | Friday, November 04, 2022

RSN and SpeQtral are working together to demonstrate how adding a QKD encryption layer over a constellation of low earth orbit satellites can enhance communication security.

FREMONT, CA: "We are delighted to work with international partners to employ SpeQtral-1 for the demonstration of ultra-secure communications, executing on our vision to realise global QKD. We have had strong synergies with our partners thus far and are excited to bring our technology one step closer to enabling telecommunication network providers to incorporate a valued-added quantum security feature to their offering," states Chune Yang Lum, Co-founder and CEO of SpeQtral.

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In a partnership agreement with SpeQtral, Rivera Space Networks GmbH, a global network company, is planning to send 600 low-earth orbit satellites (LEO) to provide secure, global connectivity to governments and businesses.

Increasingly data-driven, cloud-based, and cybersecurity-conscious networks transporting data worldwide need to be upgraded. In light of recent geopolitical and cybersecurity threats, we are increasingly turning to new low-earth orbit constellations and fundamentally different networking architectures for connectivity that meets today's security, latency, throughput, reach, and mobility requirements.

In developing highly secure, satellite-enabled connectivity networks, quantum-secure communications systems, and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology play an essential role. Encryption keys are distributed using quantum entanglement in QKD. With SpeQtral's QKD platform, you can create and distribute computation-uncrackable encryption keys using physics instead of algorithms.

Severin Meister, CEO of RIvada Space Networks GmbH, added: "Recent events in Ukraine have demonstrated that we are increasingly reliant on the commercial satellite sector and, in particular, new satellite constellations to provide high-performance, resilient communications infrastructure. Security is a key attribute of Rivada's unique gateway-less architecture, and we believe leveraging quantum technology will enable us to deploy the most secure communications network in the world. Meister continued: "Trialing this innovative new technology here in Germany is extremely important for us as we recently joined the EU's multi-stakeholder Secure Connectivity Programme, and we are excited to add quantum encryption capability to the provision of an independent and secure communications infrastructure for Europe."

A QKD encryption layer is added to low earth orbit satellite constellations by Rivada Space Networks (RSN) and SpeQtral to enhance communications security. RSN will send four precursor satellites in 2024. The partnership will enable RSN and SpeQtral to establish quantum-encrypted data links over RSN precursor satellites and validate the space and ground station terminals required to facilitate secure encrypted traffic over Rivada Space Networks.

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