BT hails hollow-core fibre trials as 'critical advancement' for secure communications
(2021/09/13)
- Reference: 1631548869
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/09/13/bt_hails_hollowcore_cable_trials/
- Source link:
BT is claiming bragging rights after completing trials of hollow-core fibre (HCF) cable at its labs at Adastral Park in Suffolk, England.
The new cable – Nested Anti-Resonant Nodeless hollow-core fibre (NANF) to give it its full name – was developed and manufactured by Lumenisity, a Hampshire business set up in 2017 and spun out from work originating at Southampton University. The trials were set up in conjunction with American OpenRAN vendor Mavenir.
Unlike traditional fibre-optic cable, which is made from a solid piece of glass and sends signals using different wavelengths of light to transmit data, Lumenisity's CoreSmart cable is hollow to reduce latency and interference.
[1]
BT claims this is yet another small step towards the development of quantum-secure communications after it revealed that researchers had "successfully operated" an "ultra-secure" Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over a 6km HCF cable.
[2]
[3]
The trials, [4]reported by El Reg earlier this year , used the Lumenisity cable as part of broader research to address the need for high-speed transactions and bandwidth increases that could be developed for applications such as Data Centre Interconnects (DCIs), Edge, and 5G xHaul.
[5]BT says it's trading in line with expectations as revenue slides and pre-tax profit shrinks
[6]BT tries to crack cyber crime, grabs stake in Safe Security
[7]BT and Communication Workers Union draw up 'principles' to guide future planning on pay and redundancies
[8]UK's BT starts trials of new hollow-core optical fibre networks
In a statement, Professor Andrew Lord, BT's Head of Optical Network Research, said the trial will play an "important role in future communications systems globally."
"We've proven a range of benefits that can be realised by deploying hollow-core fibre for quantum-secure communication," he added. "Hollow-core fibre's low latency and ability to send QKD over a single fibre with other signals is a critical advancement for the future of secure communications."
The issue of QKD technology has started to generate an increasing number of headlines as people try to figure out whether QKD really can live up to its [9]"unhackable, uncrackable or unbreakable" label. Earlier this month, news website IT World Canada reported that Ottawa-based security outfit Quantropi had [10]successfully tested its QKD technology over long distances on the internet ahead of a commercial product launch later this year.
[11]
Around the time BT and Lumenisity started their trials, Space.com reported that UK-based startup Arqit was two years away from using [12]satellites to roll out QKD technology .
Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, reckoned today's announcement represents a "key step in identifying new technologies that will form the foundation of next-generation networks."
Touching on the broader implications for such developments – particularly when it comes to protecting your assets – he told us: "No company is immune to scrutiny which should be enforced to ensure security and privacy is maintained. Ultimately, security is paramount in a world where networks are becoming software-driven and prone to attacks." ®
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/01/bt_starts_trials_of_new/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/29/bt_q1_fiscal_2022/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/23/bt_safe_security/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/bt_and_cwu_agreement/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/01/bt_starts_trials_of_new/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/06/quantum_key_distribution/
[10] https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canadian-company-touts-test-of-its-quantum-key-distribution-solution/457619
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YT-KIT3QiMRDJ@ksQ0WK3wAAAMU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.space.com/arqit-quantum-key-distribution-space
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The new cable – Nested Anti-Resonant Nodeless hollow-core fibre (NANF) to give it its full name – was developed and manufactured by Lumenisity, a Hampshire business set up in 2017 and spun out from work originating at Southampton University. The trials were set up in conjunction with American OpenRAN vendor Mavenir.
Unlike traditional fibre-optic cable, which is made from a solid piece of glass and sends signals using different wavelengths of light to transmit data, Lumenisity's CoreSmart cable is hollow to reduce latency and interference.
[1]
BT claims this is yet another small step towards the development of quantum-secure communications after it revealed that researchers had "successfully operated" an "ultra-secure" Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over a 6km HCF cable.
[2]
[3]
The trials, [4]reported by El Reg earlier this year , used the Lumenisity cable as part of broader research to address the need for high-speed transactions and bandwidth increases that could be developed for applications such as Data Centre Interconnects (DCIs), Edge, and 5G xHaul.
[5]BT says it's trading in line with expectations as revenue slides and pre-tax profit shrinks
[6]BT tries to crack cyber crime, grabs stake in Safe Security
[7]BT and Communication Workers Union draw up 'principles' to guide future planning on pay and redundancies
[8]UK's BT starts trials of new hollow-core optical fibre networks
In a statement, Professor Andrew Lord, BT's Head of Optical Network Research, said the trial will play an "important role in future communications systems globally."
"We've proven a range of benefits that can be realised by deploying hollow-core fibre for quantum-secure communication," he added. "Hollow-core fibre's low latency and ability to send QKD over a single fibre with other signals is a critical advancement for the future of secure communications."
The issue of QKD technology has started to generate an increasing number of headlines as people try to figure out whether QKD really can live up to its [9]"unhackable, uncrackable or unbreakable" label. Earlier this month, news website IT World Canada reported that Ottawa-based security outfit Quantropi had [10]successfully tested its QKD technology over long distances on the internet ahead of a commercial product launch later this year.
[11]
Around the time BT and Lumenisity started their trials, Space.com reported that UK-based startup Arqit was two years away from using [12]satellites to roll out QKD technology .
Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, reckoned today's announcement represents a "key step in identifying new technologies that will form the foundation of next-generation networks."
Touching on the broader implications for such developments – particularly when it comes to protecting your assets – he told us: "No company is immune to scrutiny which should be enforced to ensure security and privacy is maintained. Ultimately, security is paramount in a world where networks are becoming software-driven and prone to attacks." ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YT-KIT3QiMRDJ@ksQ0WK3wAAAMU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YT-KIT3QiMRDJ@ksQ0WK3wAAAMU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/01/bt_starts_trials_of_new/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/29/bt_q1_fiscal_2022/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/23/bt_safe_security/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/bt_and_cwu_agreement/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/01/bt_starts_trials_of_new/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/06/quantum_key_distribution/
[10] https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canadian-company-touts-test-of-its-quantum-key-distribution-solution/457619
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YT-KIT3QiMRDJ@ksQ0WK3wAAAMU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.space.com/arqit-quantum-key-distribution-space
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Eclectic Man
Empty space may lack atomic defects, but the hollow fibre is probably 'filled' with air. Even so this makes it far better at transmitting light than glass.
Behemoth telco polishes vanity project while we all stay stuck on copper
Twitchy Eye
Seriously, stop it....
Why not research a way to make FTTP more accessible or provide better protection for your customers. Still acting like a state monopoly after all these years, BT research was once a fine thing, now it is irrelevant intellectual masterbation.
If I wrote a list of 1000 things BT could do to improve information security, quantum key distribution would be in 1000th place
Re: Behemoth telco polishes vanity project while we all stay stuck on copper
Anonymous Coward
Hardly.
FTTNCAR (Fibre To The Nearest Cabinet And Run) preserves monopoly income. Policy: BLOCK FTTP WITH EVERY FIBRE (sic) OF YOUR BEING.
Quantum security = trip to Patent Office = UK Gov Unlimited Profit Gravy Train. Policy: FLAUNT QUANTUM CAPABILITY WITH EVERY DITTO, DITTO, DITTO.
Inventor of the Marmite Laser
"networks are becoming software-driven and prone to attacks."
It's not like BT have Phorm for attacking network traffic.
JonGodfrey
I get the need for R&D and IPR but... 47th fastest broadband in the world.. BT bleeding 2012 infrastructure
For those who care, the benefit of hollow fibre for quantum communications is that empty space has no atomic defects. Glass, like any solid material, generally does and these defects badly degrade the quantum signal - I believe through a phenomenon known as decoherence, but don't quote me on that.