In IEEE Thailand section’s annual meeting on November 30, 2022, the fifth Thai quantum information forum’s seminar (Q-Thai SEM #5) was jointly organized. An online keynote speech entitled “Proof of concept of QKD (quantum key distribution) — use cases in Tokyo QKD network” was given by Dr.Mikio Fujiwara, director of quantum ICT laboratory, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan. Number of onsite meeting members is twenty, and fifty online audiences for this invited topic.
This thirty minutes — talk for technology management & policy makers, researchers, as well as student, focused on QKD from the most update through various applications around the world, to recent roadmap in Japan. The highlight was inside the future four step of NICT’s QKD plan (2023 — 2035). Fascinating QKD network around Tokyo will be started in the year 2023 and then reaching to the global level at 2035.
About a month before the event, eight selected questions and answers as a warm-up session was promoted. Briefly, Dr.Fujiwara mentioned that “we were the first in the world to research and develop these points and were able to apply them to various POCs (proof of concept). Therefore, we believe that it is important to incorporate a design with excellent role-sharing and connectivity with existing communication and cryptographic infrastructures.”
Regarding the international collaboration with new comers in ASEAN countries, he illustrated that “satellite QKD is essential for the formation of a global network, and it is necessary to enhance the peripheral technologies that enable satellite communications.”
However, in the mean time, there was worldwide doubt on QKD with a number of negative feedback — quotes such as “seems like a solution to a problem that we don’t really have” and “boutique security product.” Moreover, main national information security units such as, NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre — UK 2018), NSA (National Security Agency — US 2020), ANSS (Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information — France 2022), and BSI (Federal Office for Information Security — Germany 2022), did not recommend QKD for the cyber security solution. Dr.Fujiwara responded to those confusion with; “cannot be discussed because it is a difference of opinion, a business model is being formed” and “it is up to them and we are not involved, we consider it unfortunate that there are more than a few people who criticize QKD without understanding the technology.”
Those exclusive Q & A are shared on Q-Thai.Org forum web with a full talk — video at https://youtu.be/sQKqQnXdMS0.