Vladivostok, Dec 17 (IANS): The Russian government will allocate 4.5 billion rubles ($69.4 million) to the state-owned Russian Railways in 2023 and 2024 to expand its quantum communication network, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported on Saturday.

As part of its digital economy framework, the government plans to invest a total of 9.4 billion rubles ($144.9 million) in the Russian Railways to develop the quantum communication network from 2021 to 2024, including 2.7 billion rubles ($41.6 million) in 2023 and 1.8 billion rubles ($27.7 million) in 2024 respectively, according to Russia's quantum communication roadmap approved in late 2021.

The roadmap includes more than 120 projects, such as tools to promote quantum communications for potential users, development of sales markets, commercialisation of services and products of quantum communications, Xinhua news agency reported.

The first pilot quantum communication line, built between Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2021 based on its existing optic network, is 700 km long and is expected to increase to 7,000 km by 2024.