Patent ID: 7577257

Claim:
A method, comprising: obtaining, at a first satellite, first encryption key symbols, by at least one of generating the first encryption key symbols at the first satellite in response to key distribution instructions or retrieving the first encryption key symbols stored at the first satellite in response to the key distribution instructions; receiving, at a first land-based node, the first encryption key symbols transmitted from the first satellite across a first free-space link using first quantum cryptographic techniques; receiving, at a second land-based node, second encryption key symbols transmitted from a second satellite across a second free-space link using second quantum cryptographic techniques; distributing the first encryption key symbols from the first land-based node towards a first customer site using third quantum cryptographic techniques; and distributing the second encryption key symbols from the second land-based node towards a second customer site using fourth quantum cryptographic techniques, where the first and second encryption key symbols are used for encrypting traffic sent between the first and second customer sites.