Preparing a large telecom (or any enterprise) for the post-quantum cryptography era is a massive, multi-faceted undertaking, but it is achievable with foresight, resources, and commitment. We’ve seen that it involves much more than just installing new algorithms - it’s about transforming an organization’s approach to cryptography across potentially thousands of applications and devices, under uncertain timelines and in coordination with many external players. In all likelihood, this quantum-readiness program will be one of the most complex IT/security projects the organization has ever executed, comparable to - or even exceeding - major transformations like the rollout of a new network generation or a large merger integration. The program spans technology, ...

The new performance analysis of Kyber and Dilithium is a welcome addition to the PQC literature. It confirms that post‑quantum security and good performance are not mutually exclusive, especially when using optimized implementations. In fact, Kyber and Dilithium often outperform classical cryptography at comparable security levels. This challenges the narrative that PQC will drastically slow down our networks. At the same time, the paper reinforces my earlier message: migration is not plug‑and‑play. Larger keys and messages can disrupt protocols and devices, and side‑channel security remains paramount. Enterprises must plan for interoperability, increased memory usage, and hardware support. Hybrid deployments, staged rollouts, and thorough testing are essential ...

The race is on to quantum‑proof the world’s telecom networks. With cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQC) projected to arrive by the 2030s, global communications providers face an urgent mandate to upgrade their security foundations. Today’s mobile and fixed‑line networks rely on public-key cryptography that quantum algorithms could eventually break. In response, the telecom industry is turning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) as the primary defense. Yet adopting PQC at telecom scale is a complex journey, entailing far more than a simple swap of algorithms. It demands strategic foresight and technical rigor to overcome unique architectural and operational hurdles. As an anecdotal example, my team has been working with one telecommunications provider ...

Homo sapiens is an incredibly adaptable species, arguably the most adaptable ever. But it is also a forgetful one, quick to take things for granted. Many of us can remember when cell phones first emerged, when the internet first became publicly available, when the first iPhone was released. These momentous shifts occurred within a generation, altering the nature of society and civilization. Just a few decades ago, none of these existed, but by the time Covid-19 hit, billions of people were able to lift their smartphone and video call a loved one on the other side of the world. At the time, few people seemed to pause and recognize that ...

Mission-critical communications (MCC) networks are the specialized communication systems used by “blue light” emergency and disaster response services (police, fire, EMS), military units, utilities, and other critical operators to relay vital information when lives or infrastructure are at stake. These networks prioritize reliability, availability, and resilience – they must remain operational even during disasters or infrastructure outages. For example, in a hurricane that knocks out commercial cell towers and power, robust MCC networks are expected to “rise above” the chaos and keep first responders connected. Communications security is equally paramount: in crisis scenarios, sensitive information (tactical plans, personal data, etc.) must be protected from interception or tampering, even as the ...

I’m skeptical of ‘futurists’. Work closely enough with the development of technology solutions and you’ll know that the only certain thing about the future is that it’s constantly changing. For example, few ‘futurists’ predicted the Covid-19 outbreak that brought the world to a standstill in 2020. Many, however, had spent hours waxing on about how 5G technology was to change the trajectory of human evolution, telling tales of what would be possible with ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency connectivity. Me included. Of course, 5G will enable many of these promised use cases, and many others we haven’t even dreamed of yet, but have the prophets been proven true? Has 5G changed ...

Modern telecommunications networks rely on multiple layers of cryptography at every step of a call or data session. Understanding the complexity of the process and the amount of cryptography involved is critical for post-quantum migration planning - an initiative some of my advanced telecommunications clients are kicking off these days. And many are widely underestimating how much cryptography is used. From the moment a user’s device connects to the network, through call setup (or SMS delivery), across roaming interfaces, and into backend billing, dozens (hundreds?) of cryptographic mechanisms are at work ...

A term first coined by the Japanese government, “Society 5.0” describes "A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space." The fifth evolution of the society, enabled by the fifth generation of cellular networking and cyber-physical systems, imagines technology, things and humans converging to address some of the biggest societal challenges. The concept encompasses Industry 4.0, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Smart-Everything World and other buzzwords of the moment. In the society of the future the more the cyber and physical worlds are combined, the greater the benefits we will experience. However, the same is true of cyber ...

Since the early 2000s, the field of quantum computing has seen significant advancements, both in technological development and in commercialization efforts. The experimental demonstration of Shor's algorithm in 2001 proved to be one of the key catalyzing events, spurring increased interest and investment from both the public and private sectors ...

The 5G Core network is a Service Based Architecture. It evolves the traditional appliance based 4G Core Network to support services. It offers more agility and flexibility. The major building blocks of this architecture include Service-Based Interface: The Service Based Interfaces rely on HTTP/2 The 5G Network Functions: As explained by Ericsson “is built using IT network principles and cloud native technology. In this new architecture each Network Function (NF) offers one or more services to other NFs via Application Programming Interfaces (API). Each Network Function (NF) is formed by a combination of small pieces of software code called as microservices.” The Network Functions are all “Virtual”. Cloud Native Functionality: ...