- The offering enables organisations to adopt post-quantum key exchange and secure connectivity ahead of quantum computing threats.
- Its delivery through a connectivity provider’s NaaS model simplifies adoption, especially for regulated sectors facing encryption risks.
What happened: Sparkle launched a new quantum-safe encryption service to secure network connections
Sparkle, part of the TIM Group, has launched a new “Quantum Safe over Internet” (QSI) service, enabling commercial post-quantum encryption through its global Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platform. The solution is designed to deliver end-to-end encrypted connectivity that is resilient to future quantum computing decryption threats, without compromising on performance. It supports secure IPsec-based VPN tunnels, inter-data-centre links, cloud-connectivity and IoT applications.
In partnership with Arqit Quantum Inc., Intel Corporation and Adtran, Inc., Sparkle’s offering uses post-quantum symmetric key agreement (SKA) technology and optimised hardware acceleration to maintain throughput and latency at existing levels. The company states this marks the first commercial quantum-safe NaaS offering by a global connectivity provider. The service is available for pre-order across key European points of presence including Paris, London and Athens, with availability on the AWS Marketplace in regions such as Frankfurt and Ireland.
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Why it’s important
As quantum computing advances, traditional encryption algorithms such as RSA and ECC face increasing risks of decryption. The shift towards quantum-safe cryptography is becoming urgent, especially for critical infrastructure and regulated sectors such as finance, government and healthcare. A recent white paper outlines that “harvest-now, decrypt-later” attacks may compromise data longevity.
By embedding post-quantum encryption into a NaaS model, Sparkle is lowering the barrier for organisations to adopt future-proof security. Rather than requiring complete infrastructure overhaul, customers can integrate the service through APIs or portals, making quantum-safe connectivity more accessible.
The move also underscores the evolving role of connectivity providers as security enablers, not just transport carriers. For enterprise and cloud users, this could shift the decision horizon: cloud-based workloads, IoT deployments and edge-services must now factor in encryption lifespan and quantum readiness.
However, the development raises several questions. Will standards harmonise quickly enough between vendors? Can performance remain unaffected at scale? And how will regulatory regimes adapt to quantum-safe encryption as standard? Sparkle’s announcement may be pioneering, but the broader ecosystem still faces interoperability, certification and adoption challenges.
