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Kenneth Hwang, vice president of platforms and client solutions at Singtel, said the operator’s experience has shown that preparing for quantum threats requires years of work across infrastructure, software, vendors, regulators, and customers

In sum – what to know

Quantum risk is near-term – Singtel sees quantum computing as a present planning issue because telecom infrastructure and cryptographic systems have long lifecycles.

Migration needs an ecosystem – Singtel says quantum-safe networking requires operators, vendors, regulators and enterprises to coordinate rather than rely on a single technology or product.

QKD and PQC complement – Singtel is pursuing a hybrid approach, using quantum key distribution and post-quantum cryptography across different parts of the network.

Singaporean telco Singtel is approaching quantum security as a network transformation challenge rather than a technology upgrade that can be postponed until quantum computers become commercially available.

Speaking at the RCRTech’s Quantum Safe Networks Forum 2026, Kenneth Hwang, vice president of platforms and client solutions & transformation at Singtel, said the operator’s experience has shown that preparing for quantum threats requires years of work across infrastructure, software, vendors, regulators, and customers.

Hwang argued that the issue is becoming more immediate as technology companies accelerate their quantum computing roadmaps and governments begin preparing for post-quantum cryptography. For telecommunications operators, the concern is particularly significant because networks carry sensitive information across areas including banking, healthcare, government, enterprise connectivity, cloud services, and IoT.

The underlying challenge is the long lifecycle of telecom infrastructure. Hwang said mobile network generations and passive optical networks typically remain in operation for around 10 years or more, while quantum-safe migration could take several years.

That creates a potential mismatch between the lifespan of network infrastructure and the timeframe in which existing cryptographic protections could face new threats. “Telcos like us can’t just wait for technology to be ready,” Hwang said. Singtel therefore views quantum-safe networking as part of building long-term digital resilience, rather than simply responding to the arrival of quantum computers.

Singtel began its quantum-safe work several years ago, with Hwang identifying three main reasons for moving early. First, telecom infrastructure is highly complex, spanning networking, optical transport, IP networks, mobile core, radio access, cloud infrastructure, enterprise services, cybersecurity, cryptography, OSS and billing systems, APIs and IoT platforms. Making such an environment quantum-safe therefore requires the wider ecosystem to be involved.

Second, Hwang said telecom operators are critical infrastructure providers trusted by enterprises, governments, and financial institutions. This creates an expectation that operators anticipate cybersecurity challenges rather than respond only once they become urgent.

Third, Singtel believes technology alone is insufficient. The operator has worked with Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority, the Center for Quantum Technologies, research institutions, vendors, and industry partners to explore practical approaches to quantum-safe networking.

Singtel participated in Singapore’s National Quantum Safe Network, which demonstrated how quantum key distribution could secure communications across national telecom infrastructure. Hwang said the subsequent phase, NQSN+, is focused more heavily on operational readiness, commercialization, interoperability, and enterprise adoption.

The operator has also been working with IMDA and Ericsson to explore quantum-safe communications for future telecom networks. Hwang emphasized that this ecosystem approach extends beyond individual vendors. Singtel is also engaging with fixed-network operators, firewall vendors, and cloud-native network providers while working on education and advocacy with organizations including boards, CIOs, CISOs and CEOs.

A central element of Singtel’s approach is combining quantum key distribution (QKD) with post-quantum cryptography (PQC), rather than treating them as competing alternatives.

Hwang said QKD is suited to environments where strong security assurances are required and where fiber infrastructure is available. Singtel sees potential applications in areas such as data center interconnects, government communications, financial institutions, and other critical infrastructure.

PQC, meanwhile, provides a software-based approach that can extend quantum-resistant protection to endpoints, cloud environments, and other systems that are not directly connected through optical fiber.

Singtel is therefore exploring ways to combine the two technologies, including the creation of hybrid keys using keys generated through QKD alongside keys generated by PQC infrastructure. The objective is to extend protection across different network segments rather than attempt to apply one technology universally.

For Singtel, the next challenge is making this hybrid architecture practical for customers.

Hwang said the operator is working on QKD, PQC, key management, orchestration, standards and operational processes as interconnected elements. The goal is to make different systems work together across an end-to-end service.

That reflects how customers consume telecommunications services, he said: they buy connectivity rather than individual network components and expect that connectivity to be secure regardless of the technologies traversed underneath.