Sparkle Pioneers Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) with Quantum-Safe Internet Use Case

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces the successful completion of a Network-as-a-Service Proof of Concept (PoC) on a quantum-safe Internet use case.

Realized in collaboration with leading companies Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, ARQQW), Intel, Adtran, and also supported by Telsy, a TIM Group company specializing in cybersecurity, the trial was carried out on Sparkle’s metropolitan fiber optic network in Athens and demonstrated the agile and fully automated implementation of an on-demand MEF Internet Access Service secured by post-quantum cryptography.

This PoC follows an earlier successful trial carried out on an International VPN between Italy and Germany. By integrating connectivity functions with Arqit quantum-safe encryption into an Intel-powered NetSec accelerator card used as Universal Customer Premises Equipment (uCPE), Sparkle tested the instantiation of a NaaS solution composed by on-demand networking and security capabilities, leveraging Adtran’s Ensemble cloud-based orchestration and automation software solution.

“Our NaaS vision is rooted in the belief that connectivity should be seamless, ubiquitous, secure and adaptable” said Daniele Mancuso, Chief Marketing & Product Management at Sparkle. “We envision a world where businesses can effortlessly scale their Wide Area Networks, adapting to changing demands with agility and precision. NaaS enables this by offering flexible, on-demand network services that are easily customizable to meet the unique needs of each customer. Whether it’s expanding bandwidth during peak times, ensuring low latency for critical applications, or providing secure connections for sensitive data, Sparkle’s NaaS solutions are designed to deliver unparalleled performance and reliability”.

The commercial launch of Sparkle’s NaaS/Quantum-Safe Internet (NaaS/QSI) is planned for later this year and will be progressively followed by other use cases composing Sparkle’s Naas Suite.

Notes to Editors

About Sparkle

Sparkle is TIM Group’s Global Operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice - to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. A major player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber spanning from Europe to Africa and the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. Its sales force is active worldwide and distributed over 33 countries.

Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com

Media Contacts:

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About Arqit

Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, ARQQW) (Arqit) supplies a unique encryption software service which makes the communications links of any networked device, cloud machine or data at rest secure against both current and future forms of attack on encryption – even from a quantum computer. Compatible with NSA CSfC Components and meeting the demands of NSA CSfC Symmetric Key Management Requirements Annexe 1.2. and RFC 8784, Arqit’s Symmetric Key Agreement Platform uses a lightweight software agent that allows end point devices to create encryption keys locally in partnership with any number of other devices. The keys are computationally secure and facilitate Zero Trust Network Access. It can create limitless volumes of keys with any group size and refresh rate and can regulate the secure entrance and exit of a device in a group. The agent is lightweight and will thus run on the smallest of end point devices. The product sits within a growing portfolio of granted patents. It also works in a standards compliant manner which does not oblige customers to make a disruptive rip and replace of their technology. Arqit is winner of two GSMA Global Mobile Awards, The Best Mobile Security Solution and The CTO Choice Award for Outstanding Mobile Technology, at Mobile World Congress 2024, recognised for groundbreaking innovation at the 2023 Institution of Engineering and Technology Awards and winner of the National Cyber Awards’ Innovation in Cyber Award and the Cyber Security Awards’ Cyber Security Software Company of the Year Award. Arqit is ISO 27001 Standard certified. www.arqit.uk

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