America’s quantum strategy entered a new phase with President Donald Trump signing Executive Order 14411, a sweeping directive designed to accelerate the commercialization, deployment, and protection of quantum information science and technology (QIST). The order updates the National Quantum Strategy, expands federal coordination across agencies, strengthens domestic supply chains, and directs new investments in quantum computing, sensing, networking, workforce development, and national security applications.
A centerpiece of the order is the creation of the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) Effort. The initiative aims to develop at least one quantum computer capable of enabling scientific discoveries beyond the reach of classical computing systems. The Department of Energy will lead efforts to define technical requirements, explore public-private partnership models, establish performance benchmarking capabilities, and potentially deploy a large-scale quantum system at a DOE facility accessible to researchers.
The order also elevates quantum networking and sensing as national priorities. Federal agencies must develop five-year plans covering quantum networking, distributed quantum computing, quantum-enhanced timing, advanced sensing technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and space-based applications. The directive additionally focuses on strengthening domestic quantum supply chains, expanding workforce training programs, increasing access to quantum-relevant foundry resources, enhancing counterintelligence protections, and coordinating international partnerships with allied nations.
• Establishes the QC-ADDS initiative to pursue a quantum computer capable of transformative scientific applications.
• Directs the Department of Energy to identify technical specifications for large-scale quantum systems within 90 days.
• Requires federal agencies to update and align programs with a revised National Quantum Strategy.
• Calls for deployment of at least three next-generation quantum sensing projects by September 2028.
• Mandates five-year plans for quantum sensing and networking from the Departments of Commerce and Energy, NSF, and NASA.
• Expands support for distributed quantum computing enabled through quantum networking.
• Strengthens domestic quantum supply chains through manufacturing initiatives, foundry access, and commercialization programs.
• Creates new workforce development initiatives, including National QIST Workforce Development Institutes.
• Expands quantum technology protection efforts, including counterintelligence programs and supply chain security measures.
• Promotes international cooperation with allies while increasing restrictions on technology transfers to countries of concern.
“America stands at the cusp of a quantum revolution. Quantum information science and technology will provide transformational capabilities that will drive American innovation, power economic growth, generate high-paying jobs, and bolster national security.”
🌐 Analysis
Notably for the networking sector, the order explicitly elevates quantum networking alongside quantum computing and sensing. Federal agencies are directed to develop plans for distributed quantum computing enabled by quantum networks, quantum-enhanced timing, and space-based quantum communications. These priorities align with ongoing investments by organizations including the U.S. Department of Energy, national laboratories, universities, and industry participants such as Cisco, IBM, Nokia, Quantinuum, IonQ, and PsiQuantum that are pursuing quantum networking, quantum-safe communications, and distributed quantum computing architectures.
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Major U.S. Government Quantum Initiatives
Updated June 2026
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| Initiative | Year | Focus | Learn More |
| NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Highest Impact on Networking |
2016 | Developed the quantum-resistant cryptographic standards now being deployed across telecom, cloud, enterprise, and government networks. Standardized ML-KEM, ML-DSA, FN-DSA and SLH-DSA. | NIST PQC |
| National Quantum Initiative | 2018 | Congressional framework coordinating quantum R&D across DOE, NSF, NIST, DoD, and national laboratories. | Quantum.gov |
| QED-C | 2018 | Public-private consortium supporting commercialization, manufacturing, workforce development, and supply-chain readiness. | QED-C |
| DOE QIS Research Centers | 2020 | Five national centers advancing scalable quantum computing, networking, sensing, materials, and architectures. | DOE QIS |
| Quantum Internet Blueprint | 2020 | DOE roadmap defining a national-scale quantum internet based on entanglement distribution and quantum repeaters. | DOE Blueprint |
| Quantum Network Testbeds | 2020+ | Metropolitan-scale quantum networking projects led by DOE laboratories, universities, and industry partners. | Argonne Quantum |
| NSA CNSA 2.0 | 2022 | National-security migration roadmap requiring post-quantum cryptography for classified and government systems. | NSA CNSA 2.0 |
| DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative | 2024 | Independent assessment program evaluating whether commercial quantum systems can achieve utility-scale fault tolerance. | DARPA QBI |
| QC-ADDS New Initiative |
2026 | Executive Order 14411 establishes the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science effort to pursue a utility-scale quantum computer for transformative scientific discovery. | Executive Order |