IonQ and Florida LambdaRail (FLR) have announced a historic collaboration to start the first statewide quantum-safe network program in the US, putting the Sunshine State at the forefront of the next generation of cybersecurity. Unveiled at the 2026 eMerge Americas Conference + Expo, this ambitious collaboration seeks to transform Florida’s vital fiber optic infrastructure into a quantum-secure, future-proof communication paradigm.
The project is among the most cutting-edge initiatives in the country to protect data in the public and private sectors from the new risks posed by the quantum era. The project offers a model for how states might safeguard sensitive data from upcoming computing advancements by fusing IonQ’s quantum networking and security technologies with Florida’s current research and educational infrastructure.
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Building the 100-Mile Quantum Corridor
The establishment of a nearly 100-mile quantum corridor from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade is the main objective of the agreement’s first phase. Prominent research and educational institutions will be connected by this three-node network, which will act as a live testing ground for quantum-secure communications via current fiber optic cables.
IonQ’s quantum key distribution (QKD) technology is at the center of this corridor. In contrast to conventional encryption, which depends on intricate mathematical puzzles, QKD makes use of the basic ideas of quantum mechanics. Because measuring a quantum states modifies it, any unauthorized “eavesdropping” is instantly detectable, and the system is built to detect any effort at interception. This greatly strengthens protections against both present-day cyberthreats and upcoming quantum-powered attacks by changing the security model from mathematical complexity to physics-based protection.
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Strategic Importance for National Defense and Education
Florida’s vital defense sector is affected by the plan. Many of Florida’s postsecondary institutions have regular working partnerships with 21 major military bases and other public and business sector defense partners, according to Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly.
Secretary Kelly said, “I’m thankful for the LambdaRail team, IonQ, and partners for expediting this crucial multistep process to provide quantum-level security for Florida’s postsecondary fiberoptics network.” According to him, this collaboration is crucial for “fast-tracking” the actions required to secure these defense partnerships for years to come, guaranteeing that Florida will continue to be a secure hub for sensitive government and military research.
From the Lab to Real-World Deployment
This project’s utilization of the Florida LambdaRail (FLR) backbone is one of its main differentiators. FLR is a non-profit organization that runs a 1,540-mile dark fiber network on behalf of its 58 members, which include local government organizations, healthcare facilities, and K–12 educational institutions, as well as its 13 university equity partners.
The project takes quantum technology out of the lab and into practical application by leveraging its current footprint. According to Jason Ball, assistant provost at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and head of the FLR Board of Directors, the partnership enables researchers, students, and partner universities to implement quantum-secure connection at scale. Ball stated, “We’re confident that this public and private project will be a catalyst to accelerate scalable quantum-secure connectivity across the state.”
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Creating a Global Quantum Milestone
The collaboration marks a turning point for IonQ’s global quantum platform. IonQ chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi said these cutting-edge networking capabilities protect data, improve innovation ecosystems, and strengthen public and commercial applications.
IonQ solidified its quantum performance leadership in 2025 with a world record of 99.99% two-qubit gate integrity. Amazon Web Services and AstraZeneca are employing the company’s latest technology, the IonQ Tempo, to boost medical development, financial modeling, and logistics. This Florida project incorporates the same degree of state-of-the-art innovation into the communications infrastructure of the state.
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Economic and Ecosystem Growth
Additionally, the project is seen as a key component of a new quantum environment in Florida. The initiative is part of a larger change in infrastructure design, according to Matt Cimaglia, Managing Partner of Quantum Coast Capital and a founding member of Florida Quantum. Florida is putting itself in a position to draw top talent and foster new economic prospects around the state by coordinating networks, educational institutions, and investment.
Looking to the Future
The initial 100-mile corridor is the top focus, the initiative’s goals are far more expansive. The partners want to extend the quantum-safe network throughout the whole 1,540-mile Florida LambdaRail network after the three-node corridor is successfully completed. Depending on future funding and ongoing stakeholder participation, this extension would eventually link more institutions and affiliates around the state.
The “harvest now, decrypt later” risk where enemies gather encrypted material now and decrypt it once quantum computers are strong enough remains a major worry for governments and organizations around the world as quantum computing develops. Similar to national-level initiatives like Romania and Switzerland, Florida’s proactive strategy aims to remove that risk before it can be exploited.
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About the Partners
The independent, nonprofit foundation of Florida’s research and education community is Florida LambdaRail (FLR). Its goal is to facilitate high-speed collaboration and resource sharing over long distances to propel the state’s economy into the twenty-first century.
The top quantum platform provider in the world, IonQ offers integrated solutions for networking, computing, sensing, and security. With operations in Europe, Asia, and North America, IonQ, which has its headquarters in College Park, Maryland, has a global presence. Businesses and governments throughout the world may now more easily access quantum capabilities with its services, which are offered by all of the main cloud providers.
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