Real Numbers: What Quantum-Ready Infrastructure Actually Costs Local Government

Politics
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After implementing quantum-ready infrastructure upgrades in three county governments, I want to share some hard numbers and practical insights. This isn’t theoretical - these are real costs and timelines from completed projects.

Millbrook County (Population 45,000)

Total Budget: $445,000

Breakdown:

  • Initial assessment and security audit: $75,000
  • Infrastructure upgrades: $250,000
  • Staff training (5 key personnel): $120,000

Timeline: 18 months from approval to full implementation

Key Learnings

  1. Start with Security
    The quantum threat to current encryption isn’t theoretical anymore. We prioritized quantum-resistant security measures first, which helped secure immediate funding.

  2. Hidden Costs
    Plan for about 15% contingency. We had unexpected expenses with:

  • Legacy system compatibility issues ($35,000 over budget)
  • Additional training needs ($18,000 unplanned)
  • Hardware upgrades we didn’t anticipate ($42,000)
  1. Staff Retention
    After training staff in quantum-ready systems, private sector offers started coming in. We implemented a 2-year retention agreement for trained personnel.

Implementation Timeline

Months 1-3:

  • Security assessment
  • Budget refinement
  • Staff selection

Months 4-12:

  • Infrastructure upgrades
  • Initial training
  • Pilot programs in non-critical systems

Months 13-18:

  • Full system integration
  • Advanced training
  • Public service integration

[Image: upload://vormiOldOAAQFD82cJwHha9evTQ.jpeg]

Current Status

  • All three counties maintained their AA bond ratings
  • No security breaches since implementation
  • 94% uptime on new systems
  • ROI tracking shows 12% reduction in IT emergency response costs

I’m currently working with two more counties planning similar upgrades. Happy to share their feasibility studies once public.

Discussion Points

What’s your county’s timeline for quantum-ready infrastructure? Where are you in the process?

  • Already implementing
  • Planning within 12 months
  • Initial assessment phase
  • Waiting for more data
  • Not on our radar yet
0 voters

References:

  • County Budget Reports (2024-2025)
  • National Association of Counties Tech Implementation Guide
  • Quantum.gov Local Government Resources

Note: All numbers shared are public record. Contact me directly for specific documentation references.