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First Secure Quantum Crypto Network Up and Running
John Lam was one of many readers to send in news that on Thursday, "at a conference in Vienna, Austria, as reported by the BBC, a European Community science working group built a quantum backbone using 200-km of standard commercial optical fiber running among seven sites and successfully demonstrated the first secure quantum cryptographic key distribution network. In addition, each of the seven links used a different kind of quantum encryption, demonstrating interoperability between the technologies. To paraphrase, the project focused on the trusted repeater paradigm and developed an architecture allowing seamless integration of heterogeneous quantum-key distribution-link devices in a unified framework. Network node-modules managing all classical communication tasks provide the underlying quantum devices with authentic classical channels. The node-module architecture uses a layered model to provision network-wide, end-to-end, provably secure key distribution."
You know, Star Trek is fiction, right? Not all the technology in the Star Trek fictional universe is possible, an some others will come out very soon others probably never.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
..." trusted repeater paradigm "...
Okay, so basically you're only 'secure' up to about 30 miles, and that's only if you have a real, honest to goodness, point to point fiber link. Otherwise they're still converting photons to electrons, and making new photons, at the repeaters.
It's no more secure than current fiber, except that you've limited the attack vector and locations to known points, namely the repeaters.