On January 7, 2021, China Telecom launched a pilot program for quantum encrypted phone calls on smartphones. The state-owned telecommunications carrier had previously unveiled handsets developed with Huawei and ZTE at its annual services and products expo in November 2020 in Guangzhou, claiming that calls from these devices would be secured by quantum key distribution.
As reported by the Yale Journal of International Affairs, the pilot represented an early commercial deployment of QKD-secured mobile communications, building on the national quantum communication backbone infrastructure.
China Telecom subsequently deepened its involvement in the quantum sector. By 2025, China Telecom Quantum Group, a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired a 40.43 percent controlling stake in QuantumCTek, consolidating the state-owned carrier’s role as a primary operator and investor in China’s quantum communication infrastructure.