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Pioneering quantum communication research took place on our Rockabill subsea cable

For the first time, researchers successfully demonstrated over euNetworks’ fibre infrastructure that quantum communication is possible between the United Kingdom and Ireland.

A series of experiments were conducted on our Rockabill subsea network in July 2023, pushing the boundaries of quantum communication and paving the way for the future security of private data. 

Researchers from The University of York in collaboration with the Quantum Communications Hub and euNetworks successfully demonstrated for the first time that quantum communication is possible over the long geographical distance that separates England from Ireland. 

Our Rockabill subsea cable is the ideal test environment

• High performance – new ultra-low loss fibre delivering low latency and remarkably low average attenuation.
• A subsea distance longer than previous Quantum tests – 224 km between Portrane (IE) and Southport (UK) cable landing stations.

The experiments

• Transporting single and entangled photons between the two Rockabill landing stations.
• Measurement of the optical phase exploited in twin-field & continuous-variable Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).

The outcomes

• Successfully demonstrated that unrepeated quantum communication is possible over a subsea distance of 224 km.
• The first successful quantum link between Ireland & the UK.
• The longest ever subsea quantum link (at time of writing).

“This is a truly exciting step forward in realising the full potential of quantum communications and for the future of securing private data in an environment that is shaping the so-called ‘quantum internet’. This project also advances the real-world integration of quantum communication technology into existing global telecommunications and network infrastructure – taking it out of the lab into a ‘real-world’ scenario.”

Professor Marco Lucamarini, University of York

What’s next?

More experiments will need to be carried out using the same cable line to pave the way for integrating the services offered by quantum technologies into standard communications for industries sending private data between the UK and Ireland and for further advances in the quantum internet. 

euNetworks continue to work in partnership with the Quantum Communications Hub, in collaboration with universities and other industrial partners, to accelerate development and commercialisation of quantum secure communications technologies at all distance scales.

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