System and Method for Implementing Quantum-Secure Wireless Networks

1 . A method of quantum-secure communications, comprising:

at a wireless communication network including subcomponents, each subcomponent being communicatively coupled to at least one other subcomponent:

receiving, via a wireless communication, by the wireless communication network, from a user equipment, a connection establishment message to connect the user equipment to the wireless communication network;

receiving, from a wireless key distribution device via a quantum communication channel, quantum encryption keys to encrypt and decrypt messages communicated with the user equipment, wherein the quantum communication channel is established for distributing the quantum encryption keys to the user equipment and the subcomponents;

establishing a network connection between the user equipment and the wireless communication network; and

for at least one subcomponent of the wireless communication network:

decrypting incoming communications from the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and a quantum key distribution algorithm; and

encrypting outgoing communication to the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and the quantum key distribution algorithm.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: distributing, via the wireless key distribution device in the wireless communication network, the quantum encryption keys to the user equipment.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subcomponents of the wireless communication network include a radio unit, a distribution unit, a control unit and a core network.

4 . (canceled)

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication network includes a plurality of network slices, wherein each network slice is associated with at least one of the quantum encryption keys.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

establishing the network connection between the user equipment and the wireless communication network using a first network slice of the plurality of network slices; and

for the at least one subcomponent of the wireless communication network:

decrypting incoming communications from the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the at least one of the quantum encryption keys associated with the first network slice and the quantum key distribution algorithm; and

encrypting outgoing communication to the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the at least one of the quantum encryption keys associated with the first network slice and the quantum key distribution algorithm.

8 . (canceled)

9 . (canceled)

10 . A method, comprising:

receiving, via a wireless communication, from a user equipment, a connection establishment message to connect the user equipment to a wireless communication network, wherein the connection establishment message requests quantum secure communications;

establishing a quantum channel between the wireless communication network and the user equipment for distributing quantum encryption keys to the user equipment and subcomponents of the wireless communication network;

obtaining the quantum encryption keys to encrypt and decrypt messages communicated between the wireless communication network and the user equipment;

providing the quantum encryption keys to the wireless communication network or the user equipment via the quantum channel;

establishing a network connection between the user equipment and the wireless communication network;

for at least one subcomponent of the wireless communication network:

decrypting incoming communications from the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and a quantum key distribution algorithm; and

encrypting outgoing communication to the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and the quantum key distribution algorithm, wherein at least one of the quantum encryption keys is associated with each of a plurality of network slices of the wireless communication network.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the quantum channel is a physical fiber optic channel between the wireless communication network and the user equipment.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein establishing a quantum channel between the wireless communication network and the user equipment includes providing a service function to establish the quantum channel.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: distributing, via a wireless key distribution device and the quantum channel, the quantum encryption keys to the user equipment.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each subcomponent is configured to encrypt and decrypt communications using the quantum encryption keys and the quantum key distribution algorithm.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

establishing the network connection between the user equipment and the wireless communication network using a first network slice of the plurality of network slices; and

for at least one subcomponent of the wireless communication system network:

decrypting incoming communications from the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the at least one of the quantum encryption keys associated with the first network slice and the quantum key distribution algorithm; and

encrypting outgoing communication to the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the at least one of the quantum encryption keys associated with the first network slice and the quantum key distribution algorithm.

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the quantum encryption keys is configured to support time deterministic communication in a dedicated network slice among a plurality of network slices.

20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the quantum encryption keys is configured to support time deterministic communication in a dedicated network slice among the plurality of network slices.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication network is compatible with a 3GPP standard.

22 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication network is compatible with a 3GPP standard.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantum encryption keys are used for at least one of antenna control and symbol modulation in the wireless communication network.

24 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the quantum encryption keys are used for at least one of antenna control and symbol modulation in the wireless communication network.

25 . A system, comprising:

a wireless key distribution device configured to distribute quantum encryption keys to a user equipment and subcomponents of the wireless communication network via a quantum communication channel to encrypt and decrypt messages communicated with the user equipment, wherein the quantum communication channel is established for distributing the quantum encryption keys to the user equipment and the subcomponents; and

at least one of the subcomponents of the wireless communication network configured to:

decrypt incoming communications from the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and a quantum key distribution algorithm; and

encrypt outgoing communication to the user equipment or the other subcomponents using the quantum encryption keys and the quantum key distribution algorithm.

26 . The system of claim 26 , wherein at least one of the quantum encryption keys is configured to support time deterministic communication in a dedicated network slice among a plurality of network slices.

27 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the wireless communication network is compatible with a 3GPP standard.