(ANTIMEDIA) – Last week, people across the world marveled at the news that China had successfully teleported a photon to outer space. Even though it wasn’t the first instance of scientists teleporting a particle, it was the boldest experiment yet and portended China’s advancement into the age of quantum computing. This week, China announced that it has successfully tested a quantum computing network in the city of Jinan, which will act as a computing hub between the cities of Shanghai and Beijing.
The Jinan Project marks the first use of a quantum computing network for commercial purposes; it is a virtually unhackable system that, according to many experts, solidifies China as the world’s technological leader. The first rollout of the network will begin at the end of August.
Quantum computing allows scientists to encrypt information using particles of light. The Jinan Project comes on the heels of China teleporting a particle into Earth’s orbit, as well as its 2012 endeavor to use a land-based quantum link between cities.
According to Zhou Fei, Assistant Director of the Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology, while China is the first to use this powerful technology, other countries will follow and it will eventually be ubiquitous.
“We plan to use the network for national defense, finance and other fields, and hope to spread it out as a pilot that if successful, can be used across China and the whole world,” he reportedly told the South China Morning Post.
A quantum computer, scientists say, will allow exponentially more computing power and is expected to be ubiquitous in nations around the world within the coming decade.