NetLink Trust, the owner and operator of the passive fibre network infrastructure of Singapore’s Nationwide Broadband Network, today announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ST Engineering’s Cyber business to support the development and validation of quantum-safe communication technologies in Singapore.
Under the collaboration, NetLink will provide a real-world fibre environment for proof-of-concept trials and technology validation. The test environment supports the evaluation of technologies including Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)-enabled communication systems and other secure optical or physical-layer communication solutions.
NetLink will provide space at its Seletar Central Office to host ST Engineering’s trial equipment, together with dedicated dark fibre connectivity over selected routes within NetLink’s nationwide passive fibre network. This will enable ST Engineering to conduct trials using dedicated fibre infrastructure under controlled, real-world network conditions.
NetLink’s role under the collaboration is to provide the passive fibre infrastructure and physical facilities required for the trials, while ST Engineering will lead the development, integration and testing of quantum-safe communication solutions, including its next-generation high-speed PQC encryptors built for high-capacity fibre networks and future ultra-high bandwidth environments.
Fibre infrastructure plays an important enabling role in quantum communication systems, particularly QKD, which uses optical fibre to distribute encryption keys securely, while PQC-enabled systems may be tested for interoperability and performance across operational communications networks.
The collaboration builds on NetLink and ST Engineering’s involvement in Singapore’s quantum-safe communications ecosystem. NetLink has previously provided fibre infrastructure to support the National Quantum-Safe Network (NQSN), led by the National University of Singapore (NUS), which serves as a national testbed for the trial and validation of quantum-safe communication technologies involving research and industry partners. ST Engineering deploys its QKD and PQC solutions to help secure data transmissions within the NQSN.
NetLink is also collaborating with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to support research and testing relating to future-ready communications infrastructure for quantum communication technologies at its campus located in the Punggol Digital District.
Collectively, these initiatives involving ST Engineering, NUS and SIT demonstrate how NetLink’s nationwide passive fibre infrastructure can support field trials, applied research and technology validation under real-world network conditions.
“Through our collaborations with industry and academia, NetLink Trust is supporting the development of a strong and trusted quantum technology ecosystem in Singapore,” said Mr Tong Yew Heng, Chief Executive Officer of NetLink Trust. “By making our passive fibre infrastructure available for real-world trials, we hope to support innovation in secure communications and contribute to the resilience and future-readiness of Singapore’s digital infrastructure.”
Said Mr Goh Eng Choon, President, Cyber, ST Engineering: “Ultra-high-bandwidth environments are critical enablers for enterprises scaling AI workloads and next-generation cloud services. Our collaboration with NetLink Trust will enable the rigorous validation and advancement of our latest quantum-safe solutions for resilient, future-ready communications systems in these environments.”
