Quantum Computing Stocks: D-Wave, AT&T Expand Agreement
D-Wave Quantum and AT&T recently announced an expansion of their commercial agreement, marking a step forward in the application of quantum technology for telecom network operations. Under the terms of this deal, AT&T plans to integrate D-Wave’s annealing quantum computing systems into its existing tools, which already support various artificial intelligence solutions.
The collaboration focuses on solving complex technical challenges. AT&T intends to move beyond initial trials to explore practical use cases for these quantum tools, including outage detection, response strategies, technician routing, and overall network traffic management. By layering quantum processing into current infrastructure, the telecom provider aims to handle data-heavy tasks that exceed the capacity of classical computing systems.
Following the announcement, shares of D-Wave saw a notable increase. This movement comes at a time when quantum computing stocks have faced pressure throughout July, mirroring a broader sell-off among artificial intelligence and tech infrastructure equities. Market participants are now looking toward upcoming second-quarter earnings reports, with D-Wave scheduled to provide results in early August alongside peers like IonQ and Rigetti Computing.
D-Wave, a pioneer in quantum annealing, has actively moved to grow its presence in the sector, including a recent $550 million acquisition of Quantum Circuits to broaden its expertise into gate-model systems. While the stock has seen significant volatility throughout 2026, the company remains focused on transitioning from experimental research to commercial deployments. The success of these applications, particularly within the massive footprint of a network like AT&T, will be a key performance indicator for the company as it approaches its next financial update.