US Department of Energy announces blueprint for national quantum internet

The US Department of Energy (DoE) has presented a report outlining a blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum Internet. The report presents a series of research objectives and milestones, such as building and integrating quantum network devices, perpetuating and routing quantum information, verifying secure quantum protocols over existing fibre networks, sending entangled information across campuses or cities, expanding the networks between cities, and expanding the networks between states. The initiative, described as a ‘pathway to ensure the development of the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act’, involves several federal agencies, including the DoE, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA, among others.