CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Sept. 28, 2023) – America’s first commercially available quantum network – EPB Quantum NetworkSM powered by Qubitekk – is now the nation’s only software-configurable quantum network specifically designed for flexibility and ease of access to support companies, government agencies and researchers to accelerate the development of their technologies. Now open to customers, EPB Quantum Network allows users to specify parameters for a range of network configurations they need to build, test, validate, characterize and run their products using AliroNetTM, designed and manufactured by Aliro Quantum for control and configuration.
“Designed specifically with quantum technology companies and researchers in mind, we make it simple for customers to configure EPB Quantum Network to their specifications,” said EPB President & CEO David Wade. “EPB Quantum Network removes barriers to commercialization for quantum developers who have not previously had access to these kinds of resources to advance their technology and is available now for scheduling.”
Through AliroNet’s graphical interface, customers can select from a range of predefined network configurations or engage EPB Quantum Network engineers to implement customized configurations. In addition, the network and interface are designed so that customers can return to previous configurations.
“EPB Quantum Network is a destination for quantum developers to run their applications and equipment and move them out of the lab and into the real world,” said Qubitekk President, CTO and Co-Founder Dr. Duncan Earl. “Most quantum networks are designed to be static and not easily reconfigured to accommodate changes. EPB Quantum Network is designed to be flexible for users’ specific applications and can be reset for different projects.”
“Quantum technology innovators’ needs are as unique as the technology they’re testing on EPB Quantum Network,” said Aliro Quantum CEO and Chairman Jim Ricotta. “We’re proud to be delivering the orchestration and control software that allows innovators to design and implement network configurations for their unique projects.”
EPB Quantum Network is a quantum-as-a-service offering that provides quantum technologists with fiber optic infrastructure and software to accelerate their process for bringing quantum technologies and applications to market. Customers can generate, distribute and measure qubits across EPB Quantum Network’s dedicated fiber optic cable using the latest foundational quantum equipment:
- Photonic qubit sources
- 4 parallel qubit channels
- Single photon counting detectors
- Quantum-compatible fiber optic switches
- Integrated automatic polarization control
- Flexible network architecture
- Dedicated fiber optic lines for distributing qubits
- Precision timing
- Network configuration software
Scheduling and pricing packages are available upon request by visiting EPBQuantumNetwork.com or contacting Business Development Account Manager Kirk McLemore at mclemorek@epb.net. EPB Quantum Network tailors quantum network access packages to support companies developing new products, proving investment readiness, seeking grant funding or conducting equipment testing. All users keep their intellectual property, which is protected on the network with multiple layers of hardware and software boundaries. EPB Quantum Network offers secure, short-term utilization of quantum nodes as well as the option to lease nearby workspace for longer-term use.
EPB Quantum Network currently utilizes 216 dedicated, managed dark fibers with capacity for 10 quantum interconnected nodes across downtown Chattanooga and a separate, community-wide 9,000-mile fiber optic network to provide additional opportunity for scalability. EPB Quantum Network is managed by EPB of Chattanooga, which launched the country’s first community-wide Gig service in 2010, and now operates the world’s fastest community-wide internet at speeds up to 25 Gig. The network architecture was designed by U.S.-based Qubitekk to be configurable for customers validating quantum product performance, testing new quantum technologies, running quantum security applications and other uses.
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About EPB
With the mission of “enhancing quality of life in our community,” EPB is a municipal utility that delivers world-class energy and connectivity services to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the surrounding area. In 2010, EPB completed a 100% fiber optic network accessible to all its customers as the basis for launching America’s first community-wide Gig speed internet. The company still operates the world’s fastest community-wide internet service today at speeds up to 25 Gig. EPB also utilizes Chattanooga’s fiber optic network as the communications backbone for the most advanced and highly automated power distribution system in the United States. In 2022, EPB continued its commitment to keeping Chattanooga on the cutting edge by establishing our nation’s first commercially available quantum network — EPB Quantum Network℠ powered by Qubitekk, which aligns local job creation efforts with the national priority to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technology.
Since switching the lights on for its first electric customer in 1939, EPB has grown to serve nearly a half a million people across a 600-square-mile service area with cutting-edge infrastructure that integrates power distribution and telecommunications. At the same time, EPB keeps customer benefit at the center of all its efforts, earning recognition from J.D. Power as the #1 Mid-Sized Utility in the South for the last seven consecutive years based on customer satisfaction ratings. Learn more at epb.com.
About Qubitekk
Qubitekk designs, builds and integrates the hardware and software for quantum networks, precursors to the quantum-enabled internet while championing the growth of a robust quantum ecosystem through education, advocacy and collaboration. Qubitekk’s comprehensive entanglement distribution technology is at the core of the Bohr-IV Metro Quantum Network solution deployed at EPB and utilized in its Quantum Network Essentials product line and secure network solutions being developed for drones, satellite communications and the electric grid.
Co-founded by Dr. Duncan Earl, a nationally recognized pioneer in the field of practical quantum applications, Qubitekk holds more patents than any American player in quantum communications and security and has been recognized with an Edison Gold Award and R&D World’s R&D 100 Award. Qubitekk’s quantum technology is empowering the next generation of solutions for AI, machine learning, automation, sensing applications, cybersecurity and secure communications. The company’s growing list of partners and customers includes NASA, GE, Verizon, Juniper, the United States Department of Energy and the United States Department of Defense. For more information, visit Qubitekk.com.
About Aliro
Aliro Quantum offers AliroNet™ to emulate, pilot, and deploy entanglement-based secure networks that are capable of running a wide variety of applications from secure communications to clustered quantum computing and distributed quantum sensing. Aliro, spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, includes world-class experts in quantum and classical networking and is leading the charge in quantum network development by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build scalable and powerful distributed quantum systems. AliroNet™ users include utility companies, telecommunications providers, public sector organizations, enterprises, and researchers who are simulating, designing, piloting, orchestrating, and building the world’s first entanglement-based quantum networks. For more information, visit AliroQuantum.com.
