The companies used the fibre connections to transmit a live encrypted concert of three quartets (pictured).
The connection ran on dedicated fibre between Trieste, Ljubljana and Rijeka – in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia respectively.
TIM and Sparkle used the music, from Giuseppe Tartini State Conservatory of Trieste, the Academy of Music of Ljubljana and the Academy of Music of Zagreb, to tell politicians attending the G20 conference in Trieste about the potential for quantum cryptography.
The network was put together by TIM and Sparkle, together with the University of Trieste and the National Institute of Optics of Italy’s Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR, National Research Council).
“This important test is unprecedented as it was carried out through three network nodes situated in the three countries involved,” said TIM. “In particular, a connection was established for the quantum distribution of cryptographic keys through trusted nodes, a fundamental element to ensure the extension of quantum networks over large distances.”
The network used nodes at linear distances of 80-100km between the three countries, incorporating innovative quantum communication architectures with high security levels.
The initiative was part of the two-year-old European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) project promoted by the 27 member states of the European Union and the European Commission, with the support of the European Space Agency, which Italy is contributing to with its research centres.
