China Telecom launches quantum encrypted phone calls on smartphones in a new pilot programme
- With a special SIM card and app, some China Telecom smartphone users in Anhui province can make phone calls protected by quantum encryption
- The race to develop quantum technology could both threaten traditional encryption and lead to new, more secure forms of cryptography
Some users of China Telecom, one of the country’s three state-owned telecoms companies, can now make quantum encrypted phone calls using a special SIM card and smartphone app, the company announced last week.
The service was launched as a pilot programme in Anhui province, where China Telecom said it is recruiting “friendly experience customers”. To get the new feature, users must visit a bricks-and-mortar China Telecom shop to swap out the SIM card. It also requires the company’s “quantum secure call” app, which is currently only available for Android, according to a statement from China Telecom last Friday. The company did not disclose pricing for the new feature.
Unlike traditional encryption methods that rely solely on algorithms, quantum encryption is protected by laws of quantum physics. In theory, all information scrambled by traditional encryption algorithms can be cracked by a computer given enough time. Quantum cryptography is different because any attempt to intercept data will cause a physical change in the message, alerting the sender and receiver to potential eavesdropping.
For users of the new China Telecom service, starting a quantum phone call will generate two secret keys using quantum information technology. These are used to verify the caller’s identity and the call’s information, ensuring end-to-end encryption.