China Telecom launches quantum encrypted phone calls on smartphones in a new pilot programme

With a special SIM card and app, some China Telecom smartphone users in Anhui province can make phone calls protected by quantum encryption. The race to develop quantum technology could both threaten traditional encryption and lead to new, more secure forms of cryptography. — SCMP

Some users of China Telecom, one of the country’s three state-owned telecoms companies, can now make quantum encrypted phone calls using a special SIM card and smartphone app, the company announced last week.

The move is the latest from China showcasing the country’s commitment to all things quantum computing, an area that, like artificial intelligence and 5G, has become part of the ongoing US-China tech war.