Insights from our database that tracks deployments of quantum technology within telcos worldwide

About the Telco quantum deployment tracker

The ‘Q-Beat: Telco quantum deployment tracker’ is where we measure the pulse of telcos’ activity related to quantum tech.

The tracker is a database of announcements, trials and commercial deployments of quantum technology by telcos around the world.

The tracker was created in July 2025 and consists of all major announcements up to 30 June 2025. We plan to update it biannually, unless we notice a major increase in relevant activity that warrants an earlier update.

For the summary deck, click on ‘Download’ under ‘Download the full report’.

For the full Excel database, download ‘Additional files’.

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As of July 2025, we have recorded 75 announcements from 29 telcos worldwide, related to quantum technology.

• It’s early days for quantum tech in telcos – but several of them have demonstrated progress.
• Activity is concentrated predominantly in the most advanced markets. There is particularly strong activity in South Korea and Japan.
• Most telco activity typically involves at least one partner (and often more) which specialises in quantum research or technology development.

We track two types of quantum activity

• Quantum communication is the area with most telco activity.
• There is also a variety of trials of telcos utilising quantum computing, mostly for network optimisation.
• However, as post-quantum cryptography (PQC) becomes imperative for organisations, we expect to see more projects in defending from quantum threats, especially among telcos that are active in the cybersecurity space.

In our analysis of these activities, we collect various data points, such as:

• Whether the project is an announcement, a trial or proof of concept, a commercial launch or a financial investment in a quantum tech company
• Type of activity, with some details
• Main partners for the quantum activity

State of quantum tech deployments (as of 30 June 2025)

Table of contents (summary deck) – July 2025

• Executive summary
• Analysis of telcos’ quantum tech deployments

Related research

• Quantum technologies: Strategic paths for telcos
• Quantum: What does it mean for telecoms?

If you are not a subscriber, enter your details below to download an extract of the summary deck.

Marina Koytcheva

Marina Koytcheva

Director, Research

Marina works across STL Partners’ research portfolio, with a specific focus on the Executive Briefing Service, consumer services and sustainability. She joined STL Partners in 2023 with 18 years of experience as a market analyst, first at Nokia, and then at CCS Insight where she led the market forecasting practice across all technology areas and modelled the impact of major global disruptions. She has wide expertise across telecoms, hyperscalers, device markets, consumer behaviour, and the impact of macroeconomic factors on the tech industry. Marina holds an MSc in Finance and Economics, and an MBA.