The mission of the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) is to build a global quantum internet made in Europe – by developing a full-stack prototype network, and by driving an innovative European qquantum internet ecosystem capable of scaling the network to world leading European technology. Building on its proven track record in teamwork, which has already resulted in world first quantum internet technology, QIA advances this mission in two complementary objectives:
1. Related to the technology goal: the realisation of a full-stack prototype network, able to distribute entanglement between two metropolitan-scale networks via a long-distance backbone (>500 km) using quantum repeaters.
2. Related to the innovation goal: the establishment of a European platform for quantum internet development, which will act as a catalyst for a European quantum internet ecosystem including all actors along the value chain.
QIA is building the world's first quantum internet prototype following a systems engineering approach. This network will enable advanced quantum-network applications and prepare the ground for secure quantum computing in the cloud, thanks to our new generation of end nodes including both processing nodes and low-cost photonic client devices. Nodes in the metropolitan network will be interconnected via hubs that allow the scalable connection of hundreds of end nodes, paving the way for early adopters. The long-distance backbone will be realised using fully functional quantum repeaters unlocking Pan-European end-to-end quantum communication. QIA’s prototype network will operate on standard optical fibres and serves to validate all key sub-systems, ready to be scaled by European industry. Parallel to the focused effort to build a prototype system, the exploration of alternative hardware platforms and other technical solutions that have a clear potential to improve the performance, scalability and functionality of the final product is ongoing in the design alternatives track.
In this first phase (SGA Phase 1), QIA will advance towards the long-term objectives set up in the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) project.
