Toshiba Tec Corp.

Quantum Corridor, Ciena, and Toshiba have completed the world’s first trial of 1.6 Tb/s quantum-safe optical encryption on a live commercial network. The trial, conducted on Quantum Corridor’s production network between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana, validated encrypted connectivity using Ciena’s Waveserver platform powered by WaveLogic 6 Extreme, alongside existing WaveLogic 5 Extreme 800G encrypted traffic on the same photonic line system. It demonstrated interworking with Toshiba’s quantum key distribution servers, which supply quantum-generated keys to Ciena’s optical encryption systems, and supported a hybrid security approach combining NIST-certified post-quantum cryptography algorithms with quantum key distribution. The solution gives network operators flexibility to mitigate threats from quantum computers, including harvest now, decrypt later attacks, and offers a practical migration path without wholesale infrastructure replacement. The milestone underscores how organizations can immediately protect critical in-flight data while preparing for the quantum era.

Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, and Rohm are aiming to reach an agreement by September to combine their power-chip businesses into a joint venture that would integrate sales, manufacturing, and development, with Mitsubishi Electric tentatively expected to lead the merged entity. Mitsubishi Electric CEO Kei Uruma said the companies are working through final terms and hope to announce plans by September, believing the deal could strengthen their ability to compete with major global rivals and possibly reach the top position in power-semiconductor market share. Each of the three companies currently holds less than 5% of the global power-semiconductor market, while Infineon Technologies controls nearly one-fifth, according to Omdia. The companies still need to resolve disagreements over the product scope, as Toshiba and Rohm want to include analog chips such as converters and drivers, while Mitsubishi Electric prefers a tighter focus on power chips. Uruma also noted that Japan's government subsidy rules require at least 200 billion yen, or about $1.2 billion, in investments involving other companies to qualify for support, a requirement he called too demanding, and warned that without similar assistance the combined venture's costs could remain higher than those of overseas competitors.