Latvian Technology Company Tet Successfully Tests Quantum Key Transmission Technology
Latvian Technology Company Tet Successfully Tests Quantum Key Transmission Technology
Latvian technology company Tet has successfully completed tests of quantum-based data transmission. The tests were carried out in seven healthcare institutions of Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS), simulating the transmission of medical and patient data. During the study, the company tested the effectiveness and security of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology.
QKD is a revolutionary new technology that enables the secure generation of ciphers and the protected transmission of data, regardless of its size. The advantage of this method is that the number of cipher combinations exceeds the number of atoms in the universe, making it virtually unbreakable by modern computers. The transmission of quantum keys is carried out over optical fibre, so a high-quality optical internet network infrastructure is essential for the deployment of this technology.
The company’s testing done in collaboration with hospitals confirmed that the technology is fully functional and meets the highest cybersecurity standards. Dmitrijs Ņikitins, Chief Technology Officer at Tet, explains: "One of the biggest cybersecurity challenges today is the exponential growth in data volumes. If in 2015 the total amount of data was 15 zettabytes, by 2030 it could grow to 180 zettabytes. This increase means that by 2030, various artificial intelligence tools and quantum computers could render existing cryptographic algorithms ineffective. Quantum encryption is the security solution of the future, which is why we are already testing a quantum transmission network in medical facilities and plan to pursue further development in the banking and financial sectors.”
Cybersecurity is particularly relevant in the protection of medical and personal data, which includes sensitive information about patients, tests, prescriptions and medical histories. The volume of this data continues to grow, requiring both secure and fast data exchange between medical institutions. Sometimes it is the speed of data transmission that can be critical to patients’ survival. The tests carried out also provided valuable insights into the necessary infrastructure requirements as well as the application of quantum technologies in data centres and cloud computing.
These tests are the first of their kind in Latvia and the Baltics, where real hospital infrastructure is used to test quantum technology. The results of the tests will be an important contribution to the development of similar technologies in other sectors.
Tet is carrying out this project in collaboration with several partners as part of the European Quantum Communications Initiative, co-funded by the European Union (EU). In this project, the European Commission is working with all 27 EU Member States and the European Space Agency to design and develop quantum communication networks using fibre optics, and to deploy this technology in space and satellite networks.
As part of this EU project, the Latvian Quantum Network (LATQN) is being set up in Latvia to build a national quantum communications demonstration network and to develop and test quantum communications technologies in various sectors for which the secure transmission of information is particularly important.
Tet is one of the largest technology companies in the Baltics, with more than 1300 employees. The company offers a wide range of services, including security solutions for the protection of critical national infrastructure, optical internet services, television, electricity and e-commerce, as well as IT and telecommunications solutions for companies in Latvia and international markets. Tet is also active in IT security, developing online multimedia services and producing original TV content.
