In December 2022, ITU-T established the Joint Coordination Activity on Quantum Key Distribution Network (JCA-QKDN), reporting to the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG). The JCA-QKDN was created to coordinate quantum-related standardization work across ITU-T Study Groups and with external standards development organizations and industry forums.
According to the European Commission’s Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation, the JCA-QKDN was established to “actively engage relevant ITU-T study groups, external organizations and fora with active work related to QKDN standardization” and to maintain a standardization roadmap for QKDN that includes a database of related standards. While the JCA does not directly produce standards, it serves as a coordination hub for progress synchronization and standard alignment among bodies including ETSI, ISO/IEC, and IEEE.
By the time of JCA-QKDN’s creation, ITU-T Study Group 13 had published 15 Recommendations and 3 Supplements on QKDN. Study Group 17 had published security-related QKDN standards in its X-series. Study Group 11 had begun work on QKDN high-layer protocols and signaling based on FG-QIT4N outputs.