The Czech Republic signed the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) Declaration in early 2020, joining a growing group of EU member states committed to developing a continent-wide secure quantum communication network. According to the European Commission, the Czech Republic signed alongside Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Romania in this wave of accessions, following the Declaration’s initial launch by seven member states in June 2019.
By signing, the Czech Republic agreed to work with the European Commission and the European Space Agency toward the development and deployment of a quantum communication infrastructure spanning the EU. The planned infrastructure would integrate quantum-based systems into existing communication networks, providing an additional security layer based on quantum physics to protect governmental institutions, data centers, hospitals, energy grids, and other critical assets.
All 27 EU member states have since joined the initiative. The EuroQCI consists of a terrestrial segment using fiber optic networks and a space-based segment using satellites, with the goal of creating a pan-European secure communication shield.