Crypto net takes a quantum leap
- By John McCormick
- Sep 23, 2004
Many people think the application of quantum mechanics to encryption is blue-sky technology that won't see real application for decades.
But it turns out that venerable BBN Technologies of Arpanet fame has already built a year-old, end-to-end quantum cryptography network connecting both sides of the Charles River in Massachusetts.
First to join up were BBN and Harvard University, both located in Cambridge. Boston University also worked on the project and by now is probably the third node on this high-security network, which exchanges interoperable quantum keys over a fiber link.
Unlike political types who say they invented the Internet, BBN could probably lay claim to that distinction. It did several important things back in the 1970s, such as inventing the router and e-mail with the @ symbol, in addition to building Arpanet for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
To read more about the secure quantum network, go to
quantum.bbn.com.