IonQ Receives $7.5 Million from AFRL for Quantum Networking

Insider Brief

• IonQ has received $7.5 million in Phase 2 funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to expand a quantum network previously delivered in Rome, New York.
• The upgrades include free-space optical links, quantum frequency converters, upgraded network hardware and automated control software to support connections between different quantum systems.
• The work aims to support quantum communications across standard telecommunications infrastructure and open air, advancing AFRL’s plans for interoperable quantum networks in metropolitan and defense environments.

PRESS RELEASE — IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading full-stack quantum platform and foundry, today announced it has received $7.5 million in follow-on funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The Phase 2 contract expands upon the first-generation quantum network IonQ previously delivered in Rome, New York. The collaboration explores key optical, hardware, and software layers to turn the deployment into an operational, interoperable research platform.

Phase 1 established the core physical network foundation. Phase 2 equips AFRL with additional capabilities needed to connect different types of quantum hardware across non-laboratory environments. Classical routers and fiber-optic cables allow different computers to share data across the internet. Similarly, these new full-stack enhancements allow connectivity of distinct quantum systems and route quantum communication over standard telecommunications infrastructure and open air.