Feds and Quebec invest $10M toward quantum communication test bed

The governments of Quebec and Canada are contributing more than $10 million in funding toward setting up non-profit organization Numana’s quantum communication test bed, which businesses and organizations will be able to start using as soon as this month. According to a press release from Numana on Monday, the quantum communication test bed will be available to “startups, technology developers, academic institutions, research centres and businesses” around the world looking to experiment with quantum technology for telecom networks, without having to worry about disrupting existing infrastructure. The first available test bed hub is in Sherbrooke, Quebec’s DistriQ Quantum Innovation Zone, with additional hubs to follow in Montreal and Quebec City early next year. The Quebec government will be investing $4 million into the project, on top of $2.5 million it contributed last year. Under the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)’s ‘Support for Regional Quantum Innovation’ initiative, the federal government is contributing $3.6 million. According to a separate release from the feds, the initiative has a total budget of $23.3 million, aimed at making investments between now and 2028 designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations develop quantum technologies. Unlike exclusive, private projects, Numana says this test bed “will bring together key actors from across the ecosystem” interested in trying out their tech, “making it easier for them to work together in order to ideate and implement innovative solutions.” According to the release, the project will “integrate emerging quantum communication technologies as they are rolled out into the market” and will be scalable and adjustable “to meet the needs of participants and a wide range of verticals (health, finance, critical infrastructure, transportation, security, military operations, telecom, etc.)” In the future, after these test bed hubs get off the ground, Numana says they may be interconnected to establish a Quebec-wide quantum communication network. The non-profit will oversee the deployment, operation and ongoing development of the test bed and make the equipment and infrastructure available to carry out various projects, based on the needs of the ecosystem, said the release. "With this project, our ambition is to accelerate quantum technology in Quebec, and help the industry develop leading-edge products to transform the province into a true global leader in quantum communication. This project aligns with Numana's new positioning as a technology think tank which analyzes disruptive technologies and conducts field projects to test them and accelerate their adoption," said François Borrelli in the release, President and CEO of Numana. The announcement emphasized contributions from BCE Inc., Telus Corp., and Ciena Corp.’s Canadian arm in deploying the test bed’s infrastructure, noting that Bell and Telus are providing access to their fibre networks.

Feds and Quebec invest $10M toward quantum communication test bed

Brief | October 23, 2023

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