LONDON – A new quantum timing trial led by Aquark Technologies is pushing precision synchronization directly into operator infrastructure to keep networks and digital services online during satellite disruptions.

The project will deploy AQlock 2, Aquark’s miniaturized cold-atom clock, at a live deployment to provide independent, highly stable timing without relying on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

AQlock delivers precise positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) directly at the site, providing operators with an alternative timing layer when GNSS is jammed, spoofed, or unavailable. The initiative is backed by a €1.6 million ($1.8 million) Innovate U.K. contract and supported by the UK National Physical Laboratory and Purbrook Engineering. Aquark describes the telecom partner only as a “large operator,” with deployment scheduled by March 2026.

In today’s networks, timing is often centralized and synchronized via satellites. AQlock shifts timing to the edge, allowing sites to maintain synchronization even if GNSS disappears. That prevents cascading failures across mobile services, transport networks, and financial transactions.

"On the first day, you lose 5G, then 4G, then 3G. The economic impact is more than a billion pounds a day," said Alexander Jantzen, co-founder and COO of Aquark Technologies, speaking to SDxCentral at the U.K. National Quantum Technologies Showcase. "With AQlock, operators can hold time for weeks or months, even during a GNSS outage."

Distributed timing for disaggregated networks

Telecom networks do use precision timing today, but it is centralized and primarily used to update network time rather than actively protect against disruption. As networks move toward edge compute, private 5G, and disaggregated RAN, synchronization requirements increase while reliance on GNSS remains.

"Once clocks are at the edge, the network can self-heal and negotiate time without satellites," Jantzen said.

The system effectively acts as a timing node that continues to operate even if GNSS is unavailable. Financial transactions, navigation services, and data traffic can continue, reducing the risk of cascading failures.

A deployable cold-atom clock

Cold-atom timing is not new, but it has historically been confined to national labs because systems require magnetic fields, complex optical setups, and significant power.

Aquark’s AQlock 2 uses a patented optical trapping method that removes the need for magnetic fields and reduces system size, weight, and power requirements, making the technology deployable in telecom racks and field environments.

"We are the only company in the world with a patent on this method. We have ten times less internal power and a robustness parallel to none," Jantzen said.

While the driver is network resilience, Jantzen sees broader opportunities.

"Once you have accurate timing everywhere, new applications appear," he said. "Could drone deliveries navigate from cell towers instead of satellites? Can data centers identify weak GPUs because we know which one is out of sync?"

Improved timing could also enable more efficient power use across networks and edge compute clusters.

"You do not fund optimism first," he added. "But that is the optimistic story."

The deployment marks one of the first times quantum timing has been used in production telecom infrastructure. If successful, it may redefine the timing architecture for 5G, 6G, and edge networks, offering operators an alternative to satellite synchronization.