Telefónica and Minsait, a firm integrated into Indra Group, have been chosen by the European Central Bank (ECB) as one of the two winning consortia to launch the communications and security infrastructure on which the future digital euro will be structured.
This network will securely connect the entire ecosystem of public and private intermediaries involved in the new digital currency, including banks, fintechs and payment service providers (PSP).
The two companies have created a consortium to design and deploy at the ECB the networks and associated solutions that integrate communications with the essential security services, so that users and companies can exchange information and access the different services and applications.
The contract, which will enter into force on May 3, 2027, will be valid for 10 years.
The president of Telefónica España and general manager of B2B, Borja Ochoa, has highlighted that with this initiative the 'teleco' advances in its goal of becoming the best means of access for citizens and companies to digital technologies.
"We are taking a very relevant step in our strategy to contribute to a more digital, secure and sovereign Europe, because the digital euro will require a robust, resilient and protected communications infrastructure, to which we can contribute with our extensive experience in critical networks, connectivity and cybersecurity," Ochoa explained.
The general manager of Minsait, Luis Fernández, has underlined that "the digital euro is one of the most transformative technological and financial projects that Europe is addressing".
"For Minsait, participating in the construction of the infrastructure that will make it possible means putting our technological capacity in critical systems at the service of a more integrated, secure and sovereign financial ecosystem," Fernández concluded.
Critical infrastructure to reinforce the EU's technological sovereignty
The proposal by Telefónica and Minsait, designed with international scope and based on a distributed infrastructure, combines communications, data center, cybersecurity, operation and technological integration capabilities.
The project is part of the development of the technological solutions necessary for the digital euro, conceived as an electronic means of payment complementary to cash and accepted throughout the euro area.
This sovereign infrastructure will also make it possible to carry out commercial transactions without the need for an Internet connection. To this end, a logical backbone will be deployed over a set of physical assets that will link all participants in the system.
Within this framework, Telefónica has been chosen as one of the two providers of the communications infrastructure and its operation through units such as Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS) and Telefónica Tech.
Its responsibility will include the deployment of an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) network —a virtual private network that connects different locations securely—, as well as SD-WAN capabilities for multisite network connectivity and advanced cybersecurity services.
In parallel, Minsait will supply the platforms and services necessary to integrate the applications, systems and actors of the ecosystem through APIs (application programming interfaces).
Likewise, it will provide digital identity, certificates and trust services through IndraMind Cybersecurity.
All this framework will be protected by a SOC (Security Operations Center) service aimed at detecting and responding to threats, ensuring identification and access control and encrypting communications between the platform's applications.
In this way, both companies will erect an essential technological layer to link the applications of the future digital euro with the intermediaries that serve citizens and companies throughout Europe.
The ECB also adds the Nexi and Deutsche Telekom consortium
The ECB has also selected the consortium made up of Nexi Payments and Deutsche Telekom to deploy the digital euro connectivity network, following the tender launched in August 2025.
Its contract came into force on September 28, 2026 to cover the pilot phase, while that of Telefónica and Minsait will start in May 2027.
From 2029, both providers will be ready to provide service in the event of a possible issuance of the digital currency, which will allow financial institutions and payment providers to opt for either of the two platforms to connect.