Q*Bird, a Dutch company focusing on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), has deployed Ireland’s first multi-node, entanglement-based Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDI-QKD) network, in collaboration with the Walton Institute at South East Technological University in Waterford (SETU).
The deployment forms part of the IrelandQCI project, the country’s national quantum communications initiative that is part of EuroQCI, the EU-wide federated quantum communications infrastructure.
Operating over Ireland’s existing fibre infrastructure, the telecom-grade network transitions quantum security from research environments into live national infrastructure. It safeguards research, education and critical systems while enabling interoperable quantum connectivity across Ireland and Europe.
From the start, the network was designed with an expandable architecture in mind, so that any additional Q*Bird QKD Node can connect to the network with a single fiber link and then gain full quantum connectivity around the network.
“This multi-node deployment represents a major milestone for Ireland’s national quantum infrastructure,” said Dr. Deirdre Kilbane, Director of Research at Walton Institute at SETU and Coordinator of the €10 M IrelandQCI project which is co-funded by the Irish Department of Communications, Culture and Sport and the European Commission as part of the Europe-wide EuroQCI initiative. “By integrating Q*Bird’s operational MDI-QKD Falqon® Series across research institutions, data centers and national networks, we are enabling secure, interoperable quantum communication while also creating a platform for other research institutions to join. It strengthens Ireland’s sovereignty over critical communications and contributes directly to EuroQCI and Europe’s federated quantum network vision.”
The hub-and-spoke architectural network comprises of four End Nodes, one Center Hub and one Quantum Optical Switch for a scalable metropolitan deployment and uses ESB Telecoms dark fibre for the quantum communication channel. The End Nodes are located in two Dublin data centres, Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin, while the Center Hub is hosted at ASIERA (formerly HEAnet), Ireland’s National Education and Research Network. The collaborative expertise of Walton Institute at SETU, ASIERA and Q*Bird were responsible for the successful deployment of the highly secure connection.
The network uses Q*Bird’s Falqon® Series, which enable entanglement-based quantum QKD over operational fiber networks. This series of devices addresses detector-side exploits that have been identified by security authorities, including Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), as the most critical attack vector in earlier QKD implementations.
“With this deployment, we continue demonstrating that secure, multi-node quantum networks are not theoretical constructs but operational systems ready for national infrastructure,” shares Dr. Joshua Slater, CTO of Q*Bird. “By combining field-proven hardware with MDI-QKD protocols, we deliver infrastructure resilient against both contemporary cyber threats and future quantum attacks. With this deployment, we are fully prepared for expansion and collaboration with additional research and educational institutions.”
