While the rest of us were busy talking about the potential of quantum networks, which would allow for perfectly secure communication based on the laws of quantum mechanics, the gub'ment has been running one for at least two years:
Today, Richard Hughes and pals at Los Alamos National Labs in New Mexico reveal an alternative quantum internet, which they say they’ve been running for two and half years. Their approach is to create a quantum network based around a hub and spoke-type network. All messages get routed from any point in the network to another via this central hub. [...]
Hughes and co say they’ve solved this with their unique approach which equips each node in the network with quantum transmitters–ie lasers–but not with photon detectors which are expensive and bulky. Only the hub is capable of receiving a quantum message (although all nodes can send and receiving conventional messages in the normal way).
Technology: Quantum Machinery
Base Facility: Quantum Lab
Reactor: Quantum Chamber