Cisco’s Universal Quantum Switch Ushers in Quantum Networking

Cisco has unveiled the working prototype of a switch designed to transmit and relay quantum information between systems from different vendors, enabling interoperability.

At the heart of the switch is a patented quantum computing conversion engine capable of recognizing all encoding modalities at both input and output, the company claimed. Notably, the routing process preserves quantum information—a nontrivial requirement in quantum computing—and operates over standard telecom fiber infrastructure at room temperature.

In specific trials, the company reported preserving quantum information integrity, with fidelity degradation limited to 4% during encoding and entanglement.

Cisco said its first universal quantum switch test model forms a core component of its broader quantum networking framework, the result of years of research, extensive validation, and an expanding set of strategic collaborations.