PQC Migration for Mobile and Fixed Operators
Telecom networks are a target for quantum attacks, and they also carry the traffic other organizations need to protect. 5G-AKA still relies on a symmetric long-term subscriber key. 5G also added public-key mechanisms that 4G never had, most visibly SUCI subscriber-identity concealment. Roaming interfaces, SIM provisioning, and interconnection agreements all have cryptographic dependencies. The 6G standardization window is open now, and the architectural choices made during it will apply for the next decade.
This course covers PQC migration for mobile and fixed operators, aligned with GSMA PQ.01–PQ.07 guidance and the Telecommunications Extension of the PQC Migration Framework.
Course Outline
Module 1 Telecommunications Cryptographic Dependencies
5G-AKA and its symmetric long-term subscriber key, and why its quantum exposure differs from that of the public-key mechanisms 5G introduced. SUCI identity concealment and the public-key dependencies with real quantum exposure. Roaming interface cryptography (SEPP/N32). SIM provisioning and OTA update security. Core network authentication. Transport network encryption. The distinction between access network and core network migration.
Module 2 GSMA Guidance and Standards
GSMA PQ.01 through PQ.07: what each document covers and requires. 3GPP standardization status. ETSI quantum-safe cryptography work. The 6G standardization window and why choices made now will persist for a decade.
Module 3 Operator Migration Strategy
Migration sequencing for mobile operators: core network, transport, access, services. SIM replacement and remote provisioning implications. Roaming partner coordination. Vendor equipment timeline dependencies. The interconnection agreement challenge.
Module 4 Implementation and Testing
Testing PQC in live network environments. Handover and roaming testing with PQC algorithms. Performance impact on latency-sensitive services. Regulatory compliance during transition.
Prerequisites
None. Sector experience is helpful but not required. For a broader PQC foundation, consider starting with Post-Quantum Foundation.
Certificate of Completion
Upon completion, you receive a Quantum Academy certificate of completion. It is separate from our professional certifications and states your CPE credits, one for each 60 minutes of teaching. CISSP, CISM and CRISC holders can claim them with their certifying body. The credits also count toward renewing a Quantum Academy certification. Our CPE credits page explains how to claim them.
Who this course is for
Network security architects, core and radio engineering leads, standards and regulatory affairs staff, and vendor management at fixed and mobile operators. Equipment vendors are welcome too. They leave with a clear view of what their customers are about to start requiring.
If you operate an enterprise network, take the overview course for your own industry.
What you’ll be able to do afterward
- Map the cryptographic estate of a modern telecom network (5G core, radio, transport, signaling, subscriber identity)
- Assess vendor-dependency constraints on PQC migration timelines
- Track and plan around 3GPP standards body PQC decisions
- Evaluate SIM/USIM upgrade paths for post-quantum subscriber authentication
- Plan PQC migration for Open RAN architectures
What you leave with
When you finish, we email you the course handbook, a PDF of every slide with notes that explain it in full. We also include a PDF copy of Quantum Ready. The handbook is yours to keep.
Enrollment includes 180 days of access to the online on-demand course. Where that course is not yet published, the 180 days start on the day it is.
Where this course fits
Nothing is required. Post-Quantum Foundation covers the algorithm vocabulary if you want it first. In the Quantum-Safe Telecommunications Intensive, you turn this into a network migration plan. Vendor governance is harder in telecom than in most sectors. Operators depend on a small number of equipment suppliers. PQC Vendor Governance covers it.
Why we teach this
The course is built on the Telecommunications Extension of the Applied Quantum PQC Migration Framework. The practitioners who teach here wrote it, and it is published openly under Creative Commons at pqcframework.org. Our faculty runs migration programs in this sector and teaches the constraints they meet in that work.
About this program
Quantum Academy credentials are private professional credentials issued by Quantum Academy, a trade name of Post-Quantum Institute. They are not government-issued licenses, accredited degrees, or academic credit, and earning one does not guarantee employment, promotion, regulatory approval, or any other specific outcome.
Quantum Academy programs are educational and informational only, and are not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.