IBM Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are charting a bold course to entangle quantum computers across vast distances, aiming to deliver a proof-of-concept by the end of the decade that could birth a quantum internet. Announced on Nov. 20, 2025, the partnership merges IBM’s prowess in scalable quantum processors with Cisco’s networking expertise, targeting a networked quantum ecosystem by the early 2030s. This move addresses a core bottleneck in quantum computing: isolation.

Quantum computers excel at tackling intractable problems in chemistry, materials science, and cryptography, but their fragility demands cryogenic isolation. Linking them requires preserving qubit coherence over fiber-optic cables, a feat demanding novel transducers to convert microwave signals to optical photons. IBM and Cisco plan to demonstrate entanglement between cryogenically separated processors within five years, as stated in their joint press release.

The ambition extends to a ‘quantum computing internet’ by the late 2030s, where distributed quantum resources enable fault-tolerant computation at scales beyond single machines. ‘By combining IBM’s leadership in building useful quantum computers with Cisco’s quantum networking innovations, the companies plan to explore how to scale large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers,’ IBM noted in its newsroom announcement.

Quantum Hardware Meets Networking Muscle

IBM’s roadmap includes processors like Quantum Loon and Nighthawk, fabricated on 300mm wafers at the Albany NanoTech Complex, as revealed at the Quantum Development Conference. These chips push toward error-corrected, logical qubits essential for utility-scale quantum advantage. Cisco, meanwhile, operates a dedicated quantum lab, developing stacks for entanglement distribution and sub-nanosecond synchronization.

The collaboration targets a new networking architecture: microwave-optical transducers, quantum repeaters, and software for teleportation protocols. Reuters reported that ‘IBM and Cisco Systems on Thursday said they plan to link quantum computers over long distances, with the goal of demonstrating the concept is workable by the end of 2030,’ highlighting involvement from universities and federal labs for missing technologies.

Cisco’s role emphasizes preserving ‘extremely fragile quantum states,’ per SiliconANGLE, through innovations in optical photons and interfaces that sync quantum operations with classical infrastructure.

Overcoming Distance and Decoherence

Current quantum networks are lab-bound; Delft University’s 2021 metropolitan link over 25 km pales against commercial needs. IBM and Cisco aim to scale to geographic separation, solving decoherence via entanglement swapping. Their five-year milestone: entangling distant processors, as posted by IBM Research on X.

Challenges abound. Qubits decohere in milliseconds; optical losses demand near-perfect efficiency. Cisco’s stack addresses this with entanglement resources and precise timing. Technology.org notes the network could solve problems ‘impossible for today’s machines,’ like drug discovery simulations.

IBM’s hybrid cloud middleware will integrate quantum and classical workflows, building on Qiskit Runtime’s dynamic circuits for algorithm exploration, now available to users.

Strategic Roadmap and Milestones

Phase one: proof-of-concept by 2030, linking two machines. Next: multi-node networks over long distances, per Cisco’s release. IBM targets operational fault-tolerant systems by 2029, aligning with this timeline.

Investors note the play’s scale. Oppenheimer rated IBM ‘Outperform’ amid the news, as covered by TradingView News. Cleveland Clinic’s IBM Quantum System One underscores healthcare applications.

The duo’s vision: a quantum-centric supercomputer ecosystem, modular and scalable via System Two architecture.

Implications for Industry and Security

A quantum internet promises unhackable communication via quantum key distribution and distributed computing for climate modeling or optimization. Yet it threatens RSA encryption, spurring post-quantum cryptography races.

Telecoms Tech News explains: ‘IBM and Cisco believe the breakthroughs may come within a decade and are building a system that could later support a large quantum internet.’ This positions telecoms for quantum repeaters in fiber backbones.

Competition intensifies. Google’s Willow chip and IonQ’s trapped-ion systems vie for supremacy, but networking lags. IBM-Cisco’s edge: end-to-end integration.

Technical Deep Dive: Entanglement and Transduction

Core tech: convert qubit microwave photons (GHz) to telecom optical photons (1550 nm) with >99% fidelity. Repeaters use atomic ensembles for memory. IBM’s Heron processor, with tunable couplers, suits networked ops.

Cisco tackles synchronization: ‘facilitate teleportation between quantum computers, and synchronize their operations with sub-nanosecond precision,’ per SiliconANGLE. Software will manage resource allocation across nodes.

Recent IBM advances, like utility-scale dynamic circuits, enable mid-circuit measurement for error correction in networks.

Path to Commercialization

By late 2030s, expect quantum sensors integrated, forming a full internet. Partnerships with labs accelerate R&D. WebProNews frames it as ‘combining IBM’s hardware expertise with Cisco’s networking prowess.’

Risks persist: scaling error rates below fault-tolerance thresholds (~10^-3). Success hinges on 300mm fab yields and transducer breakthroughs.

For industry insiders, this signals a pivot: quantum no longer siloed, but networked like classical data centers, reshaping enterprise IT.