QCIHungary
Deploy Advanced Quantum Communication Infrastructure (QCI) in Hungary – QCIHungary
Project ID: 101081247
DIGITAL-2021-QCI-01-DEPLOY-NATIONAL
Beneficiaries: Governmental Agency for IT Development (consortium leader), Eötvös Loránd University, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Funding: 252 520 € (ELTE)
Launch date: 1 January 2023
Completion date: 30 June 2025
The QCIHungary project aims to lay down the foundations of a national quantum communication infrastructure in Hungary, with the eventual goal to participate in the creation of a larger pan-European quantum network. We plan to connect the capital, Budapest, with three cities in three different directions (Győr, Nagykanizsa, Szeged) with the future possibility of cross-border connections with Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Romania. Within Budapest a metropolitan network is envisioned to be employed for various purposes. The backbone and a part of the metropolitan network will be constructed from commercially available quantum key distribution (QKD) systems.
The project also builds on previous Hungarian research to develop a continuous variable as well as an entanglement based QKD system over optical fibres. In addition to terrestrial, optical fibre based QKD systems we intend to prepare for later satellite-based QKD connections by developing a free-space quantum link and by the installation of a quantum-capable ground station. We complement our deployment efforts by developing the necessary supporting software.
Another important aspect of the project is training and education: methodologies and training materials will be developed for various audiences and a simulator software for our courses. The project will actively engage in international collaborations with neighbouring and other EU countries in order to exchange practical experiences and to coordinate future work.