Cisco Unveils Universal Quantum Switch Research Prototype for Routing Quantum Information Across Networks

Cisco Systems (CSCO) has announced the development of a Universal Quantum Switch, a research prototype designed to route quantum information between systems while preserving it at room temperature on existing telecom fiber.

The announcement was made on April 23, 2026, in San Jose, California, marking a milestone in quantum networking by addressing the challenge of connecting quantum computers from different vendors that use varying encoding modalities.

According to Cisco, the switch features a patented conversion engine that translates between all major encoding and entanglement modalities at input and output, allowing quantum information to be routed without destruction.

In proof-of-concept experiments, the switch preserved quantum information with an average of less than or equal to 4% degradation in encoding and entanglement fidelity.

Vijoy Pandey, SVP/GM of Outshift, Cisco’s Emerging Technologies and Incubation Group, stated that reaching this milestone is a pivotal moment for Cisco’s quantum program and a testament to the transformative potential of quantum networking.

The Universal Quantum Switch is described as a working research prototype that enables connection of quantum systems from different vendors, along with quantum sensors of different types, into a single coherent network.

It operates by routing entangled photons while preserving their quantum state, without requiring cryogenics or custom infrastructure and functions on standard telecom fiber at telecom frequencies.

Cisco positions the device as the quantum equivalent of classical switches that enabled the scalability of the Internet by connecting tens of billions of endpoints.

The complete findings from the experiments are expected to be published in an upcoming research paper on ArXiv.