IBM and Cisco announced a joint project to connect large, fault-tolerant quantum computers into a working network. The partners aim to show a proof of concept by the end of 2030.
The plan covers hardware and software to move quantum data between systems in different places. The companies will test links that use microwave‑optical transducers and other new connection tools. They want to let separate quantum processors work together on very large tasks, including hard optimisation problems and detailed material simulations.
IBM will work on a quantum networking unit (QNU) to pass quantum data between a quantum processing unit (QPU) and the network. Cisco is building a software framework to route entanglement and manage network paths so many QNUs can share work. Together, they plan to use Cisco nodes to link IBM QPUs inside a data centre and, later, between data centres.
They said the goal is to let many large quantum machines act as one system. Over the next five years, they plan to show how linked quantum computers can scale out to hundreds of thousands of qubits and very large numbers of quantum gates.
IBM and Cisco also want to solve issues in moving qubits across distance. This includes work on optical-photon links and transducer tech for longer links between buildings or sites.
IBM Research director Jay Gambetta said: “At IBM, our roadmap includes plans to deliver large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers before the end of the decade.
“By working with Cisco to explore how to link multiple quantum computers like these together into a distributed network, we will pursue how to further scale quantum’s computational power.”
Cisco’s team is exploring open hardware and software for network bridges and nodes that could join QPUs together. Vijoy Pandey of Cisco said: “IBM is building quantum computers with aggressive roadmaps for scale-up, and we are bringing quantum networking that enables scale-out.
“Together, we are solving this as a complete system problem, including the hardware to connect quantum computers, the software to run computations across them, and the networking intelligence that makes them work.”
IBM is also working with the SQMS centre at Fermilab and plans an early demo of linked QPUs inside quantum data centres within about three years. In time, the partners say a wider network could grow into a “quantum computing internet” to support new uses, such as secure links and better environmental or seismic sensing.
Both companies see this effort as a long‑term push to expand quantum power by linking machines, while also testing real engineering and networking solutions along the way.
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