IBM and Cisco plan to link quantum computers over long distances and aim to provide a proof-of-concept by 2030, potentially paving the way for quantum internet
IBM (IBM.N) and Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) on Thursday said they plan to link quantum computers over long distances …
Context & Ripple Effects
IBM’s quantum effort has progressed from making a 20-qubit machine available through the cloud to pursuing industrial-scale systems, which IBM and Google said could be in sight by 2030. The Cisco collaboration extends that arc beyond building a single machine to connecting machines across distance.
The plan matters because useful quantum systems may not be confined to one processor or one site. A proof of concept would test whether IBM’s computing roadmap can be paired with Cisco’s networking expertise, rather than assuming quantum hardware alone determines the path to a networked service.
First-order effects
- IBM and Cisco will align quantum-computing and networking work around a long-distance connection proof of concept targeted for 2030.
- Cisco gains a defined role in quantum-network infrastructure, while IBM broadens its quantum program from processor development toward interconnection.
Second-order effects
- The effort raises the importance of interfaces between quantum processors and networks; other quantum hardware providers and network vendors may need to show comparable interoperability paths.
- Enterprise buyers evaluating future quantum access will have another architecture to watch: linked systems rather than only larger standalone machines.
Third-order effects
- If repeatable long-distance links prove practical, quantum computing could evolve toward distributed infrastructure, with specialization split between processor makers, network operators, and service providers.
- The result will hinge on whether networking progress can keep pace with the difficult scale-up from fewer than 200 qubits to systems of more than one million qubits described in the industrial-scale quantum roadmap.
The trend: Quantum competition is broadening from qubit counts and error correction toward the networking layers needed to connect computing resources across locations.