ENCRYPTED DATA TRANSMISSION IN OPTICAL- AND RADIO-ACCESS NETWORKS BASED ON QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION

A first node of a network includes a quantum transmitter, a classical transceiver, and an initial-key generator that cooperate with a second node to transmit an initial key via the quantum transmitter. The first node includes a key-series generator that (i) encrypts a first unencrypted key of a series of unencrypted keys to generate a first encrypted key of a series of encrypted keys and (ii) encrypts each subsequent unencrypted key of the series of unencrypted keys with a preceding unencrypted key of the series of unencrypted keys to generate a subsequent encrypted key of the series of encrypted keys. The encrypted keys are transmitted to the second node. The first node includes one or both of a decryptor and an encryptor. The decryptor decrypts encrypted data using a last unencrypted key of the series of unencrypted keys. The encryptor encrypts unencrypted data using the last unencrypted key.