Product GAapprovedSeptember 18, 2026
EPB
IonQ Forte Enterprise Quantum Computer Launch
EPB launched an IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, Quantum Center, creating what the company describes as the first U.S. commercial hub to offer quantum computing and quantum networking in one facility.
Headline metrics
| Commercial hub | 1st in the U.S. | EPB says this is the first U.S. hub with commercially available quantum computing and quantum networking under one roof. |
| NIST-backed fellows | $4 million | Grant funding supports eight graduate researchers applying the system to power-grid optimization. |
| IonQ investment | $15 million | IonQ's planned Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center investment cited by EPB. |
Highlights
- Commercial availabilityEPB says its quantum computing service will open for business in early October 2026, with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as the first customer.
- Integrated infrastructureThe new computer is operating alongside EPB's commercially available quantum network and a classical supercomputer installed with IonQ, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and NVIDIA.
- Workforce expansionRelated Chattanooga initiatives cited by EPB include 135 to 240 planned UTC positions and approximately 250 Vanderbilt researchers, faculty, and staff.
Resources
- EPB launch announcementepb.com
- EPB Quantum commercial hubquantum.epb.com