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European Central Bank awards digital euro network contracts
The European Central Bank (ECB) has awarded major contracts to establish the technical infrastructure for the future digital euro. To ensure operational resilience and prevent monopoly dependencies, the central bank has selected two independent network providers through a dual-awarding process.
A consortium consisting of Nexi and Deutsche Telekom has received a ten-year contract for central connectivity services, which has been in effect since September 28, 2026, to cover the initial pilot phase. The second provider, a consortium of Telefónica and Minsait (an Indra Group company), has been selected to deploy secure communications and security infrastructure. Their contract is set to begin on May 3, 2027, with a duration of ten years.
The network will connect the data centers of the Digital Euro Services Platform (DESP), ensuring secure data access for commercial banks, payment service providers, and national central banks of the Eurosystem. The ECB has also tendered five additional component packages for the system architecture, including software for fraud and risk management, directory services, and mechanisms for offline payments.
The digital euro is intended to complement cash rather than replace it. The ECB aims for a potential introduction of the digital currency by 2029, following the establishment of a necessary legal framework and a pilot phase scheduled for 2027.
Entities
Deutsche Telekom · Digital Euro Services Platform · European Central Bank · Indra · Indra Group · Minsait · Nexi · Telefónica
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 10 SOURCES] Telefónica was selected as a second independent network provider. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +5 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] The ECB aims to ensure resilience and avoid monopoly dependencies through dual awarding. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +4 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The network will connect data centers for the Digital Euro Services Platform (DESP). www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +2 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The ECB targets the introduction of a digital euro by 2029. www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.xataka.com
- [● 9 SOURCES] A consortium of Nexi and Deutsche Telekom received a contract for digital euro connectivity services. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +4 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The ECB has tendered five additional component packages for the system architecture. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +2 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The contract for connectivity services is for a duration of ten years. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · www.onetz.de · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · +10 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] The digital euro is intended to complement cash rather than replace it. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.finanzen.ch · ruse.news · www.europesays.com · www.it-daily.net · +3 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The Telefónica and Minsait consortium contract begins on May 3, 2027. cincodias.elpais.com · www.lacronicabadajoz.com · www.moncloa.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.que.es · +2 more