Today marks an exciting milestone for the UK’s communications future - and a proud moment for BT. In a project led by the University of Suffolk, with BT and partners, we have officially opened the Quantum Optics Discovery (QOD) Lab, now the UK’s largest indoor optical free space simulator, as well as a new Optical Ground Station. Both facilities will be based at Adastral Park, BT’s home of research and innovation, further strengthening its role at the forefront of communication technologies.
For more than 50 years, Adastral Park has been at the forefront of UK communications breakthroughs. From pioneering copper and fibre technologies to today’s advances in AI and quantum, the work done at the site has shaped how the UK connects, works and lives.
The arrival of the QOD Lab and the Optical Ground Station continues that legacy. It cements Adastral Park’s role as a launchpad for the UK’s next wave of communication technologies and is the ideal home for facilities designed to push the boundaries of optical and quantum research.
Exploring the future of optical and space‑based networks
The new facilities will play a central role in BT’s journey to build secure, resilient and future‑ready networks. They will help us to explore optical networks in space: understanding how light‑based communications behave beyond Earth’s atmosphere, an area of rapidly growing global interest. And they will simulate real‑world weather conditions: from fog and rain to hurricane‑level winds, helping us understand how free‑space optical links perform in challenging environments.
Importantly, they will also help BT in our journey - developing quantum‑secure communications: protecting networks from the cyber risks posed by quantum computers which will make traditional encryption methods vulnerable.
As the UK works towards deploying advanced quantum networks by 2035, space‑based quantum secure networks are a critical part of that future. They offer a scalable way to deliver secure quantum communications globally, overcoming the physical distance limits of terrestrial systems. Having already delivered the UK’s first metro‑scale quantum‑secure network trial in London, the labs enable BT to take the next step: testing quantum‑secure links between ground and space.
Collaboration powering national innovation
The QOD Lab and the Optical Ground Station are powerful examples of what can be achieved when academia, government and industry work side by side. Collaboration has always been central to BT’s approach to innovation, and these projects continue that heritage.
By working with the University of Suffolk, the University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Azora, Honeywell Aerospace, Space East and the UK Space Agency, we’ve helped create nationally significant facilities that will shape the networks of the future. These investments also reinforce East Anglia’s position as a growing hub for space‑sector innovation, opening new opportunities for research, skills development and commercial testing.
A proud moment for BT - and a step toward a quantum‑ready UK
For BT, hosting the QOD Lab and the Optical Ground Station at Adastral Park is a proud moment. It reinforces our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and building a more secure, resilient and truly quantum‑ready communications infrastructure for the UK.
