SES and SpeQtral have announced a strategic partnership to enhance global cybersecurity through long-distance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an interoperable Optical Ground Station (OGS) that facilitates secure communications between Asia and Europe.
This innovative OGS will enable the integration of current and future satellite missions from both SES and SpeQtral, allowing for improved access and diversity in QKD services. By connecting with Singapore’s fibre-QKD network, customers can merge their systems with satellite-based QKD, paving the way for a global QKD framework once operational. The collaboration is expected to lower costs associated with quantum communication infrastructure and address significant gaps in QKD service availability, making the technology more accessible worldwide.
Singapore is poised to host the first OGS, leveraging its active ecosystem of quantum technology initiatives, including the National Quantum Safe Network Plus (NQSN+). QKD satellites, positioned approximately 500 km above the Earth in Sun-Synchronous Orbits, will create critical global communication links, laying a solid foundation for secure communications in the era of quantum computing.
With support from ESA and the European Commission, SES is also leading the EAGLE-1 project to facilitate early access to long-distance QKD for ultra-secure data transmissions.
Meanwhile, SpeQtral is developing two QKD satellites—SpeQtre and SpeQtral-1—with backing from Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn). Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, emphasised the importance of this partnership in advancing next-generation cybersecurity. Chune Yang Lum, CEO of SpeQtral, noted its potential to unlock new synergies in connecting localised quantum networks. Together, they aim to create a more secure future in global communications.
