AT&T expands D-Wave quantum computing deal for AI-driven network optimisation News | July 29, 2026 By Asma AdhimiAT&T is expanding its use of quantum computing technology from D-Wave Quantum after early tests cut the processing time for a network optimisation task from around one hour to less than 15 seconds. For eeNews Europe readers, the announcement highlights how quantum computing is beginning to move beyond research projects and into operational telecom networks. Quantum targets network optimisationUnder the agreement, AT&T plans to integrate D-Wave’s annealing quantum computing technology into the software tools that support its agentic AI systems. The next step is to use quantum computing to accelerate optimisation tasks that become increasingly difficult for conventional computing systems as network complexity grows. Beyond annealingWhile the immediate focus is on annealing quantum computing for optimisation workloads, AT&T is also evaluating D-Wave’s forthcoming gate-model quantum systems for potential applications in quantum security and quantum communications.