EPB Activates IonQ Forte Enterprise Quantum Computer

EPB has activated an IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at its Quantum Center in Chattanooga. The city-owned power and fiber utility, EPB, hosts the system, built by IonQ.

Details of the Deployment

IonQ describes Forte Enterprise as a trapped-ion machine in the 36-qubit class. However, this figure is provided by the company and has not been independently verified for the Chattanooga unit. EPB’s quantum site confirms the system is operational, and that companies and researchers can purchase access time. 

Crucially, almost all details a potential buyer would seek remain undisclosed. EPB mentions “high gate fidelity” without providing a specific number for this system. Public materials lack information on uptime commitments, service-level agreements, pricing, or configuration details.

The commercial arrangement is also unclear. Available sources do not specify whether EPB purchased the hardware outright, hosts it under contract with IonQ, or resells IonQ’s capacity. The first users are EPB Quantum Computing Fellows, supported by a $4 million NIST grant. 

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga should follow when commercial service begins in early October.

What This Launch Does Not Prove

A qubit count alone does not establish advantage, and merely installing a machine does not prove it can solve problems faster than a classical computer. 

As no cryptographically relevant quantum computer currently exists, this deployment poses no immediate threat to encryption. IonQ’s frequently cited 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity is a company-reported figure from 2025, which was only attributed to the company in its Q2 2026 earnings release, and it does not specifically describe the unit installed in Chattanooga.

Context in Chattanooga’s Quantum Development

IonQ’s Q2 2026 release mentions a Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center, a collaboration with EPB, and a company-claimed first commercial quantum memory unit installed on live fiber. This networking initiative is distinct from the computing service, and the sources do not establish a formal technical link beyond the shared EPB partnership and facility. Software development is also ongoing elsewhere in the sector, such as Fujitsu’s open-sourcing of a quantum application package.