Central China launches world-leading quantum communication line

Connecting Wuhan city of Central China's Hubei province and Hefei city of East China's Anhui province, a world-leading quantum communication line was officially put into service on Tuesday.

It's the first commercial extension line of the world's first quantum encryption trunk, the Beijing-Shanghai trunk.

The line's completion marks the beginning of a quantum communication era in China, bringing the country a step closer to the world's most secure communication network.

The Wuhan station accessed the national quantum communication networks starting last year, and has become an important hub.

Quantum communications feature ultra-high security. Information running through it is difficult to tap, intercept or crack, experts said.

The line began construction last year. It involves an initial investment of about 200 million yuan ($29 million) and all its technologies and equipment were developed by Chinese scientists.

The project adopts advanced quantum communication technology, takes the national information security demand as its strategic goal and serves the information security needs of the central region in government affairs, finance, energy, data center, aerospace, aviation, port and other key areas.

"The physical properties of quantum communication ensures information security," said Wu Chunfeng, deputy general manager of China Space Sanjiang Group, a CASIC subsidiary. Unlike optical networks, quantum communication is an unconditionally secure method of communication.

According to the company, the new quantum communication landline will build 11 stations in cities in Anhui and Hubei provinces, and is 609 kilometers long.

Globally all major technology powers, including the US, the EU and Japan, are investing heavily in research on quantum encryption technology.