Telecom Italia using live quantum computing on 4.5G and 5G networks

Telecom Italia (TIM) said it’s the first telecommunications operator in Europe to make use of the vast potential of quantum computing to plan its next generation mobile networks. In a statement, TIM said it teamed up with Canadian quantum computing company D-Wave to develop radio cell planning that ensures reliable, high performing mobile services. The partners optimised planning of radio cells within a QUBO (quadratic unconstrained binary optimisation) algorithmic model, carried out on D-Wave's 2000Q quantum computer. 

TIM specified that the QUBO algorithm was used to plan 4.5G and 5G network parameters and performed the task 10 times faster than traditional optimisation methods. “Since computing speed is expected to improve further as quantum computer technology evolves, the ability to configure the network in real time is a key aspect in providing customers with better mobile services,” said the operator.

It added that applying the QUBO algorithm to the planning of cell IDs – which allow smartphones to distinguish each radio cell – serves to provide TIM customers with greater VoLTE (Voice over LTE) service quality when on the move. TIM will also be using the algorithm to carry out real-time network configuration as part of the SON (self-organising network) ‘closed circuit’ it has already begun implementing.