Maltese operator Melita has demonstrated its quantum communications testbed network. The Melita Data Centre in Madliena hosted a live demonstration of Malta's quantum communications testbed network being developed and deployed in the PRISM project. This testbed network has been developed as part of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) project, designed to create a quantum communications network across the EU with cybersecurity capabilities.
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QKD Devices Connect Malta to Sicily
Two of the nodes in Malta's quantum testbed network were connected to Sicily, with the demonstration showcasing the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) devices that are used to facilitate the quantum link to Italy.
The Chief Technology Officer at Melita Limited said, "The roll-out of an EU-wide quantum communications network will be critical to guarantee secure communications in the future. Melita, together with its partners in the PRISM Consortium, is leading the way in establishing how such quantum networks would operate on commercially deployed fiber networks and in enabling the development of the standards to be adopted by the EuroQCI project."
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EU's Quantum Project
The demonstration was part of a broader series of activities in Malta, attended by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) delegates working on quantum technology standardisation, Melita said in a statement on January 30, 2025.
"The work being done in Malta by the PRISM Consortium is preparing the foundations for a quantum communications network which will make communication impervious to novel threats such as those posed by quantum computers – now and in the future," said a Professor of Physics at the University of Malta and founder of Merqury Cybersecurity.
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This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe Programme grant agreement.
