Get ahead of the quantum threat with a quantum-safe network strategy

Imagine a team of elite spies slipping past the most sophisticated security systems in a high-stakes TV drama. Now picture the same covert force—this time using quantum computers—silently harvesting today’s encrypted data to crack it tomorrow. Just as the 1980s series MacGyver turned a paperclip into a warhead diffuser, today’s quantum machines could turn our strongest-encrypted secrets into easily read content.

Enter Q-Day—the moment when a sufficiently powerful quantum computer can break widely deployed asymmetric algorithms such as RSA-2048. While the exact date is still a moving target, the risk is real, and the data you protect now could become the loot of tomorrow’s quantum adversaries. Enterprises that adopt a quantum-safe, crypto-agile mindset now will stay one step ahead of the spies of the future.

We asked Omdia to conduct an in-depth study on the state of quantum-safe networks (QSN) across a global mix of network operators. This included QSN topics such as market drivers and trends, technology and infrastructure readiness, risk management and resilience, security-as-a-service business models and customer readiness. You can download the full report here.

Market drivers and trends

Customer interviews reveal a market shifting from curiosity to concrete planning. Decision-makers are grappling with uncertainty around the exact Q-Day timeline, the “harvest now decrypt later” threat and the convergence of AI and quantum technologies.

With quantum computing technologies continually improving, it’s no surprise to hear there is a global consensus amongst all network operators, including service providers, enterprises, critical infrastructure providers and research and education networks: there is no escaping the coming quantum-era threats. Interviewees have become diligent in their business practices to stay ahead of the curve and expressed a few top-of-mind business drivers being incorporated into their strategies:

• Exploration and planning– Most respondents label their current status as early-stage exploration, with budgets starting to be allocated towards solidifying their operational risk-mitigation strategies.
• Q-Day uncertainty – Knowing the date these machines will become mainstream would improve operational planning within the network. A 2025 Global Risk Institute survey revealed 49 percent of respondents believed RSA-2048 would be broken in less than ten years, with 15 percent thinking it could happen in five years.
• Harvest now decrypt later – Organizations fear adversaries are already collecting encrypted traffic to crack once quantum power arrives. This has necessitated assembling teams to investigate vendors’ mitigation solutions.
• AI and quantum convergence – Rapid AI growth amplifies data-exfiltration risk, requiring quantum-readiness initiatives to be accelerated. The risk AI currently poses using techniques such as deepfake impersonation or financial webpage masking and notifications have only scratched the surface. We will undoubtedly see an influx of new applications once enhancement using quantum technology is available. (Kyndryl interview).
• Regulatory and government pressure – Militaries, large financial institutions and national governments are early adopters for quantum-safe solutions and have allocated sizable budgets. These mandates are being pushed towards the service providers in the regions they operate.

Business opportunities

Just as Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, in the 2016 movie Central Intelligence, go out of their way through deciphering codes to determine who was the ultimate mastermind by stealing a large sum of money, they had to find creative ways of making the best out of a precarious situation. It seems that Q-Day also provides a way for businesses to find some return on investment through new revenue opportunities. Network operators can monetize quantum-safe offerings, differentiate themselves and capture premium revenue streams. Interviewees highlighted several high-value models they are exploring:

• Premium connectivity services – Enterprises are willing to pay higher fees for quantum-secure links.
• Consulting and proof-of-concept services – Early-stage engagements help map customer requirements and build trust.
• Hybrid security packages – Bundling post-quantum cryptography (PQC), symmetric key infrastructure (SKI), and quantum key distribution (QKD) creates a “belt-and-suspenders” offering that appeals to risk-averse sectors.
• Ecosystem leadership – Partnering with hardware leaders (e.g., the Nokia-GRNET satellite QKD collaboration) positions vendors as trusted quantum security partners.

Business concerns and challenges

Interviewees in the study voiced clear pain points that could stall adoption if not properly addressed, such as technology selection dilemmas, infrastructure limits and financial constraints.

• Technology choice – End customers may require different technologies to be in place and secured network layers to optimize for resilience. This implies a hybrid defense-in-depth approach using SKI, PQC, and/or QKD.
• Crypto-agility requirements – Algorithms must be rapidly swappable across application, transport and network layers where PQC is being implemented, as future ratifications may need to override current implementations.
• Infrastructure limits – QKD fiber reach (~100 km) and nascent satellite QKD costs pose deployment challenges and inherently increase total cost of ownership.
• Budget constraints – Sectors such as healthcare lack capital budgets despite high awareness.
• Insurance uncertainty – There is limited underwriting coverage for quantum-related breaches, prompting self-insurance models to be explored.

Investment risks and readiness assessment

The cost of inaction may far outweigh the up-front investment. There is a clear readiness gap amongst network operators and a ROI narrative for early adopters. The study highlights areas such as: 

• Risk of delay – Data harvested today could be decrypted tomorrow; regulatory penalties may follow.
• Readiness gap – Most customers are at the “early stage”: high awareness, low budgets.
• Capital-intensive up-front work – Thousands of devices need upgrades. This will take time, possibly extending beyond Q-Day.
• Potential ROI – Premium contracts with governments and finance sectors and long-term breach-cost avoidance.

A call to action for network operators worldwide 

Just as MacGyver turned everyday objects into tools that outsmarted the toughest security, today’s enterprises can transform existing network assets into quantum-ready defenses—if they act now. Q-Day may be years away, but the data stolen today remains a valuable target far into the future. Take these next steps:

• Download the full Omdia quantum-safe networks white-paper for deeper technical guidance.
• Schedule a quantum security assessment with Nokia experts to map your current exposure and go to Nokia’s quantum safe network webpage to learn more.
• Begin building a hybrid, crypto-agile roadmap that blends tools such as PQC, SKI, and QKD (or classical physics key distribution) to future-proof your infrastructure.