Researchers demonstrate three-node quantum internet over New York fibre
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · May 8
Researchers demonstrate three-node quantum internet over New York fibre
9 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · May 8
Working with Qunnect and Cisco, they linked nodes in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan over 5-6 miles of commercial fibre, with a QTD Systems data-centre hub performing entanglement swapping.
The added third node turned a point-to-point link shown in 2023 into a small on-demand network, suggesting existing telecom infrastructure can support quantum key distribution with tamper detection.
The preprint says centralising cryogenic detectors could improve scalability, though longer distances still need quantum repeaters and better quantum memories for wider distributed computing and sensing applications.
As software aims for quantum-proof encryption, is building this physical 'unhackable' internet worth the immense cost?
Beyond protecting state secrets, could an 'unhackable' internet create a new class of undetectable digital crime?
GothamQ: New York City's 3-Node Quantum Network Achieves 5,400 Entangled Pairs per Hour Over Live Urban Fiber
Overview
In 2026, NYU, Qunnect, and Cisco launched GothamQ, New York City's first operational three-node quantum network using entanglement swapping. This network overcomes urban challenges with Qunnect's advanced hardware stabilizing quantum signals and Cisco's software synchronizing operations, all built on existing telecom fiber to reduce costs and boost scalability. GothamQ enables ultra-secure Quantum Key Distribution, protecting against future quantum computer threats, while demonstrating high entanglement rates and reliability. New York State supports this progress with plans for quantum hubs and expanded networks like SCY-QNet. Despite some security agency skepticism, a hybrid approach combining quantum and post-quantum cryptography ensures robust protection, positioning GothamQ as a scalable model for metropolitan quantum networks.