NTT and OptQC have signed a collaboration agreement to accelerate the development of scalable and reliable optical quantum computers, aiming to reach one million qubits by 2030. The partnership will combine NTT’s advanced optical communication technologies with OptQC’s expertise in optical quantum computing to push the technology toward practical, large-scale use.

Optical quantum computers—which operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure—are viewed as a promising alternative to conventional quantum systems that require highly controlled environments. The companies plan to develop multiplexing and error-correction technologies, build a supply chain, and create use cases and software to support future adoption.

The collaboration forms part of NTT’s IOWN initiative and builds on breakthroughs such as quantum entanglement generation more than 1,000 times faster than traditional methods. OptQC, a University of Tokyo spin-off, is currently developing a 10,000-qubit system and plans its first commercial optical quantum computer for next year.

NTT and OptQC expect to verify use cases within five years and target full realization of a million-qubit optical quantum computer by 2030.