Quantum Communication Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Quantum Communication Market is projected to expand from a valuation of USD 1.13 Billion in 2025 to USD 8.44 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 39.81%. This sector utilizes the principles of quantum mechanics, including entanglement and superposition, to ensure secure data transmission. The market is primarily driven by the urgent necessity to safeguard sensitive information against escalating cyber threats and the impending decryption capabilities of quantum computers. Additionally, the industry's growth is significantly supported by substantial government investment in sovereign infrastructure and the adoption of Quantum Key Distribution within financial and defense networks.

A significant obstacle impeding broad market expansion is the technical complexity of transmitting quantum signals across long distances, as signal attenuation currently requires the creation of sophisticated quantum repeaters. According to the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, approximately 15% of quantum-related organizations focused their resources specifically on quantum communications and security in 2024. This statistic highlights the concentrated industrial effort to overcome these hardware limitations and construct a durable framework for secure global data exchange.

Market Drivers

The increase in government funding and strategic national quantum initiatives acts as a primary catalyst for the global market, as nations compete for technological sovereignty and defense superiority in the quantum age. Governments across the globe are aggressively investing in quantum technologies to strengthen national security and economic competitiveness, resulting in significant capital injections for research and infrastructure development. For example, UK Research and Innovation allocated over £1 billion in December 2025 to support the entire quantum technology pipeline, from fundamental research to market readiness. Such robust public financing is essential for de-risking early-stage ventures and building the industrial base needed for scalable quantum communication solutions.

Concurrently, the rapid expansion of satellite-based quantum communication networks is revolutionizing the sector by addressing the signal attenuation limitations inherent in terrestrial fiber-optic systems. Satellite integration facilitates the distribution of entangled photons over intercontinental distances, forming the backbone of a future quantum internet without geographical boundaries. A major milestone occurred in March 2025, when researchers established a record-breaking 12,900-kilometer quantum-secured satellite connection between China and South Africa, as reported by Innovation News Network. This progress is bolstered by regional efforts like the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility, which concluded a €90 million funding call in February 2025 for cross-border quantum infrastructure, signaling a shift toward viable, global-scale secure networks.

Market Challenges

Signal attenuation remains the most significant technical barrier restricting the scalability of the Global Quantum Communication Market. Unlike classical data, which can be easily amplified, quantum signals degrade over distance and cannot be copied or boosted without compromising their quantum state, necessitating the development of complex quantum repeaters. This limitation largely restricts current commercial networks to metropolitan ranges, hindering the deployment of long-haul infrastructure needed for a global quantum internet and stalling revenue growth beyond limited government and financial testbeds.

The industrial effort to engineer these sophisticated repeaters is further complicated by a critical shortage of specialized technical talent skilled in the convergence of quantum physics and telecommunications engineering. This workforce gap delays the transition from experimental prototypes to reliable, field-ready hardware. In 2025, the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) reported approximately 7,400 unfilled job openings in the global quantum industry, underscoring a severe deficit in the human capital required to address these hardware limitations. Without the necessary engineering resources to efficiently solve signal loss, the market struggles to support the long-distance data exchange essential for widespread commercial adoption.

Market Trends

The miniaturization of quantum components using Photonic Integrated Circuits is emerging as a critical trend to resolve the scalability issues of bulky optical setups. By shifting to chip-scale architectures, manufacturers can significantly lower production costs and power consumption, allowing for the integration of quantum security features into standard network equipment and consumer electronics. This move toward scalable manufacturing is highlighted by substantial capital flowing into photonic research for industrial applications. For instance, Eindhoven University of Technology reported in December 2025 that a research consortium received part of a €16 million funding package from NWO and PhotonDelta to accelerate the development of next-generation photonic chips for quantum information processing.

Simultaneously, the integration of Quantum Key Distribution into 5G and 6G telecommunications is transforming the market from experimental testbeds into commercial service offerings. Telecommunications operators are increasingly adopting hybrid security frameworks that combine QKD with post-quantum cryptography to provide resilient, long-term data protection for enterprise and government clients. This commercial maturation is evident in recent regional deployments utilizing existing fiber footprints. As an example, Singtel launched Southeast Asia's first Hybrid Quantum-Safe Network in October 2025, a service designed to secure sensitive business communications against quantum threats by integrating QKD technology directly into its existing fiber infrastructure.

Key Players Profiled in the Quantum Communication Market

• IBM Corporation
• Microsoft Corporation
• Honeywell International Inc.
• Toshiba Corporation
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
• Google LLC
• Quantum Technologies, Inc.
• SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Quantum Xchange, Inc.
• ID Quantique SA

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Quantum Communication Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Quantum Communication Market, by Product Type:

• Hardware
• Service

Quantum Communication Market, by Application:

• National Defense
• Aerospace
• Finance
• Others

Quantum Communication Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Quantum Communication Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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