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QNu Labs, BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar say they completed a 5.56 km free-space quantum key distribution trial on Sept. 27–28, 2026. The teams report a secure key rate of 230–260 bits per second, a quantum bit error rate below 5% and successful encryption and decryption of a test message using a hybrid QKD and post-quantum cryptography system.
QNu Labs, BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar report that they completed a 5.56 km free-space quantum key distribution trial between BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar on the night of Sept. 27–28, 2026. The organizations say the link generated keys that were used in a post-quantum cryptography-enabled application to encrypt, transmit and decrypt a test message, providing a field demonstration of a hybrid security system.
According to a QNu Labs press release, the trial used the company’s 1550-nanometer quantum channel and DPS-Decoy QKD protocol. The link recorded a secure key rate of 230–260 bits per second and a quantum bit error rate, or QBER, below 5%. The release describes these as trial results; it does not provide independent measurements or a separate assessment of the system’s security.
The teams integrated QKD-generated keys with BISAG-N’s Vedic Kavach browser and web server. The release says 256-bit keys were delivered through the ETSI GS QKD 014 interface and used to encrypt and decrypt a test message. QNu Labs supplied the QKD technology and pointing, acquisition and tracking system, while Vedic Kavach provided a software layer based on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum random number generation.
The system’s optical terminals relied on coarse pointing through a gimbal and fine steering to maintain alignment across the link, according to the release. QNu Labs reports a 100 Hz tracking bandwidth, coarse pointing accuracy of 5 microradians and fine pointing accuracy of up to 0.1 microradians. These specifications describe the equipment used in the trial; the source does not provide detailed operating logs or measurements across different weather conditions.
Testing Quantum Keys in Open Air
The demonstration moves the reported work beyond a controlled laboratory setting: the teams say they maintained a quantum link across 5.56 km of open atmosphere and connected its keys to an application. That combination matters because a functioning optical link alone does not show how quantum key distribution fits into systems that encrypt and deliver information. The test message offers a limited example of that end-to-end connection.
The hybrid design also addresses a practical constraint identified by the project team. QNu Labs says the application’s software security layer is intended to keep operating if the quantum channel becomes temporarily unavailable. The release presents PQC and quantum key distribution as complementary protections, but it does not report comparative security testing or explain the application’s behavior during an actual channel outage.
For organizations considering quantum-resilient communications, the reported rate gives a measure of the link’s present output: 230–260 bits per second, described by the company as roughly one fresh 256-bit key per second. The result is relevant as a field-trial performance figure, though the source does not establish whether that rate would meet the needs of particular operational services or hold over longer distances.
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From Optical Link to Application
QKD uses a quantum channel to establish shared cryptographic keys between endpoints. In this trial, the channel traveled through the atmosphere rather than through a fiber connection. The source says a pointing, acquisition and tracking (PAT) system maintained alignment between the terminals while they exchanged signals. The reported 1550-nanometer wavelength and pointing figures describe this setup; they do not, on their own, establish performance in other deployments.
The software component, Vedic Kavach, used keys from the link through the ETSI GS QKD 014 interface, according to the release. It also incorporates PQC and quantum random number generation. These are distinct elements of the architecture: the release describes QKD as distributing keys over the optical path and PQC as part of the application’s software security layer. It does not detail which algorithms were used or provide a full technical design.
QNu Labs describes the trial as India’s first free-space QKD link at the 5 km scale. That characterization comes from the company’s press release, and the source material does not include a survey of earlier trials against which to assess it. The stated next ambitions are longer links, multiple nodes and eventual exploration of satellite-based quantum communication.
““Quantum security will become meaningful at scale only when technologies can move beyond controlled laboratory environments and operate across real communication infrastructure.””
— Sunil Gupta, co-founder and CEO of QNu Labs
post-quantum cryptography software
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Limits of the Trial Results
The published material is a company press release, and no independent test report is included. It is not clear how long the link operated continuously, how the reported key rate varied during the trial, or how weather and other atmospheric conditions affected performance. The source also does not give enough detail to assess the test message’s contents, the security review of the application or the system’s performance under routine operating conditions.
The release does not describe an actual interruption of the quantum channel or show how the software layer performed during one. It also does not provide results from longer links, multiple nodes or satellite-based systems. Those remain future objectives, rather than demonstrated capabilities in this trial.
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Longer Links and More Nodes
QNu Labs says the trial provides a basis for work on longer-distance links and multiple nodes, with satellite-based quantum communication as a longer-term area of exploration. The organizations have not announced a timetable, named a next trial site or specified a target distance. Any assessment of progress will depend on further reported tests, including their operating conditions, key rates and application results.
The immediate reported milestone is the successful test-message exchange between the connected endpoints. Further public technical details could clarify how consistently the link performs and how the hybrid application handles loss of the optical channel. The source material does not identify a scheduled publication or demonstration.
optical tracking system for quantum communication
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Key Questions
What did the teams demonstrate?
They report a 5.56 km free-space QKD link between BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar, integrated with a PQC-enabled application that encrypted, transmitted and decrypted a test message.
When did the trial take place?
The QNu Labs press release says it was conducted on the night of September 27–28, 2026.
What performance did the link report?
The release gives a secure key rate of 230–260 bits per second and a QBER below 5%. It does not include an independent test report or detailed performance data over time.
Was this an operational communications network?
The source describes a field trial and test-message exchange. It does not report a deployed operational network or establish performance for routine communications services.
What remains to be demonstrated?
Longer links, multiple nodes and satellite-based communication are described as future areas of work. The release gives no timetable or performance targets for those steps.
Source: rss
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