SK Telecom noted it will be leading efforts to develop standards for key management of hybrid approaches with quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC)
Korean operator SK Telecom said it will promote the development of standards for quantum-safe communications at the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 17 (SG17) meeting, which is being held at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX), starting this week through September 8.
ITU-T SG 17 is a statutory group of the ITU-T concerned with security, which holds meetings twice a year to develop international standards and technical reports.
At the meeting, SK Telecom says it will be leading efforts to develop standards for key management of “hybrid approaches” with quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), with the aim of reaching quantum-safe communications by combining the strength of QKD and PQC.
The Asian carrier explained that quantum-safe communication refers to the use of technologies that are resistant to attacks by quantum computers, in order to keep information assets secure even after a large-scale quantum computer has been built.
SK Telecom said it is also actively working to develop and commercialize quantum cryptography technologies. Together with SK Broadband and ID Quantique, SK Telecom says it is not only setting standards for the operation of quantum cryptography communication network built with equipment from different manufacturers at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), but that it has also successfully verified the related technology on the national test network.
“We are excited to lead the establishment of standards for next-generation security technologies that utilize the advantages of quantum key distribution and post-quantum cryptography technologies,” said Ha Min-yong, chief development officer of SK Telecom. “We will continue to make efforts to contribute to the growth of the global quantum cryptography market through active research and business.”
SK Telecom has recently released a 6G white paper that focuses on the key requirements for 6G standardization and the telco’s views regarding the direction of future network evolution.
The Korean carrier said the new white paper contains its views on 6G key requirements and 6G evolution methodology, along with its opinions on the latest trends in frequency standardization. The 6G white paper also provides analysis, development directions and methodologies pertaining to promising 6G use cases, technology trends as well as and candidate frequencies.
Moreover, with the commercialization of 6G, SK Telecom projected that megatrends like AI, power saving and quantum security will spread across all network areas and technologies specialized for each network area—such as radio access network, core network, transport network and aerial network—will be applied and evolved.
