Singtel is treating quantum security as a network migration issue. The Singaporean operator does not see it as a distant research topic. It views quantum risk as a practical planning challenge for telecom networks.
The message came from Kenneth Hwang, vice president of platforms and client solutions at Singtel. He spoke during RCRTech’s Quantum Safe Networks Forum 2026. His key point was clear. Telecom operators need years to prepare their systems.
Quantum computers could eventually break many current encryption methods. That matters for carriers. Their networks support banks, hospitals, governments, cloud platforms, enterprises, and IoT services. These sectors cannot wait for a security crisis.
Hwang warned that telecom assets often remain active for a decade or longer. Mobile generations, optical networks, and enterprise platforms have long replacement cycles. Security migration also takes time. “Telcos like us can’t just wait for technology to be ready,” Hwang said.
This creates pressure, but also opportunity. Early planning can reduce future disruption. It can also help operators strengthen customer trust. However, the journey involves many moving parts. Carriers must review infrastructure, software, vendors, regulators, customers, and operations.
Singtel began work on quantum-safe networking several years ago. The company sees telecom providers as critical infrastructure players. It believes they must anticipate cyber threats before they become urgent.
The operator has worked with Singapore’s IMDA, the Center for Quantum Technologies, researchers, suppliers, and industry partners. It also joined Singapore’s National Quantum Safe Network. That project demonstrated secure communications across national telecom infrastructure.
The next phase, known as NQSN+, focuses on practical deployment. It looks at operational readiness, commercial use, interoperability, and enterprise adoption. These areas matter because customers buy secure connectivity, not isolated security tools.
Singtel is also working with Ericsson on quantum-safe communications for future telecom networks. Yet Hwang stressed that no single vendor can solve the problem. Fixed operators, firewall suppliers, cloud-native vendors, and enterprises must also participate.
A central part of Singtel’s strategy combines two approaches. The first is QKD, or quantum key distribution. It uses physics-based methods to help secure encryption keys. It works best where fiber connections already exist.
That makes QKD attractive for data center links, government networks, and financial institutions. It can offer strong security assurances. Still, it may not suit every environment. Fiber availability and deployment costs can limit wider use.
The second approach is PQC, or post-quantum cryptography. This is a software-based method. It aims to protect systems against future quantum attacks. It can reach endpoints, cloud platforms, and systems beyond optical fiber.
Singtel wants to combine both technologies into hybrid security models. These models could use keys from QKD and PQC together. The goal is broader protection across different network segments.
The main challenge now is execution. Operators must manage standards, key systems, orchestration, and customer services together. If they succeed, quantum-safe networking could become part of everyday telecom resilience.
