EPB, IonQ Launch First US Commercial Quantum Hub, Backed by $15 Million Investment
Updated
Updated · Quantum Zeitgeist · Sep 21
EPB, IonQ Launch First US Commercial Quantum Hub, Backed by $15 Million Investment
1 articles · Updated · Quantum Zeitgeist · Sep 21
Summary
Chattanooga’s EPB switched on an IonQ Forte Enterprise system on Sept. 18, creating what the partners call the first U.S. commercial quantum computing and networking hub.
The site pairs IonQ hardware with EPB’s 216-fiber network so companies and researchers can test quantum applications in a live environment rather than a lab-only setting.
EPB plans to use the system first to optimize its power grid under a $4 million NIST-backed effort, while the project also includes the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Vanderbilt University.
IonQ’s $15 million commitment is expected to add about two dozen jobs, and supporters project the initiative could generate as much as $1.1 billion for the region over the next decade.
The launch fits a broader U.S. quantum push that is shifting from headline qubit counts toward deployable infrastructure, domestic hardware capacity and practical fault-tolerant applications.
Will IBM's massive quantum foundry gamble secure industry dominance, or become a stranded asset if competing qubit architectures prevail?
Beyond raw qubit counts, who will ultimately control the critical hardware supply chains required for the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computers?
As quantum computing shifts to mass production, could a single New York facility determine the global winner of the technological race?
From Fiber to Quantum: Chattanooga’s $1.1 Billion Bet on the Future of Computing and Economic Growth
Overview
Chattanooga’s journey to becoming a quantum technology leader began with EPB’s investment in a citywide gigabit fiber optic network, which later enabled the launch of the nation’s first commercial quantum network. This real-world infrastructure set the stage for the September 2026 debut of the IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at the EPB Quantum Center, making it the first U.S. commercial hub to combine advanced quantum processing and photonics-based networking under one roof. The center’s hybrid platform, integrating NVIDIA supercomputing, now supports groundbreaking research and workforce development, with major academic partners and K-12 programs fueling Chattanooga’s projected $1.1 billion economic impact by 2035.