We use the internet constantly, from online banking to sending email. Continuous, reliable, and safe exchange of information is secured using encryption, but current encryption methods are unfortunately not immune to cyber-attacks. Importantly, the arrival of quantum computers poses a serious threat to existing encryption methods. A quantum internet uses entirely different encryption to protect our data against cyber-attacks.

Combining quantum communication with quantum computers will bring future quantum benefits closer. Building a single computer with a high number of logical qubits is still very difficult, but if we use quantum networks we can link multiple smaller quantum computers. By using such distributed computing, the system behaves like one virtual large-scale quantum computer.

High precision timing plays an important role in applications such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), gravitational wave detection systems and radio-astronomy. Quantum entanglement can be used to create instant coordination between two places, enhancing the accuracy of global positioning, gravitational wave detection and giant telescopes.

In order to build a quantum network, there are two important components: a quantum processor node and an interface to link two or more systems over a distance.