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The European Central Bank has selected two network service provider groups to connect payment service providers and national central banks to its digital euro platform. One contract has started and will support a pilot planned for next year; the second begins in May 2027. Both groups are expected to be ready by 2029, but issuing a digital euro still requires final approval.
The European Central Bank has selected two network service provider groups to connect payment service providers and national central banks to its digital euro service platform, establishing part of the technical infrastructure for a possible future digital euro. One contract is already under way and will initially support a pilot planned for next year, while the second contract is due to begin in May 2027.
The selected groups are a partnership of Deutsche Telekom and Nexi Payments, and a Spanish consortium comprising Telefónica de España, Telefónica Global Solutions and Indra Soluciones Tecnologías de la Información. The ECB had issued an invitation to tender last year and has now signed deals with both groups, according to Finextra.
The Deutsche Telekom-Nexi contract runs for 10 years and has already started. Its initial role is to provide connectivity for a digital euro pilot that is planned to get under way next year. The agreement with the Telefónica and Indra companies is scheduled to start in May 2027.
Both provider groups are expected to be ready in 2029 to deliver the connectivity services needed for a potential digital euro issuance. If a digital euro is offered, payment service providers will be able to choose between the two networks. The provider selection is a technical procurement step, not a decision to issue the currency: issuance remains subject to final approval.
Two Routes for Digital Euro Connectivity
The contracts address a practical requirement for any digital euro service: payment firms and national central banks need a way to connect to the ECB’s platform. Having two provider options could give participating payment service providers a choice of network when connecting, rather than requiring them all to use one selected provider group.
The agreements also mark progress in planning the infrastructure for a possible public digital payment method. The near-term pilot is expected to test some of the arrangements before the stated 2029 readiness target. However, the network contracts alone do not establish that a digital euro will be issued, nor do they settle how broadly it would be used. The ECB says a potential issuance remains subject to final approval.
The provider groups have described their role as supporting reliable, scalable connectivity. Those descriptions are their stated aims; the source report does not provide performance measures or evidence that the planned systems have already been tested at full operating scale.
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From Tender to Pilot Preparations
The ECB invited bids for network services last year, according to Finextra. The selection now gives the digital euro project contracted partners for connecting payment service providers and national central banks to the service platform. The two agreements have different start dates: the Deutsche Telekom-Nexi deal is active, while the Spanish consortium’s contract begins in May 2027.
The first contract is expected to support the project’s pilot, which the report says is set to begin next year. The longer-term milestone is 2029, when both groups are expected to be ready to provide connectivity for a potential issuance. That schedule describes provider readiness, not a confirmed launch date for a digital euro.
Deutsche Telekom and Nexi said their proposed platform would support the exchange of digital euro transactions across the service-platform ecosystem. They described its architecture as designed to scale with transaction volumes and periods of peak demand. These are company statements about the intended service, rather than independently reported operating results.
“Deutsche Telekom is helping build the secure, resilient digital infrastructure Europe needs to protect its institutions, strengthen its strategic autonomy and advance its digital sovereignty.”
— Gottfried Ludewig, Deutsche Telekom senior vice-president and leader for the public sector and health industry
Issuance and Operating Details Remain Open
The ECB’s selection of providers does not confirm that a digital euro will be issued. The source report says potential issuance is still subject to final approval, but does not specify the approval process, who will make the final decision, or when it could happen.
Several practical details are also not stated in the report, including the precise scope and duration of the pilot, which payment service providers will take part, and what criteria they will use to choose between the two network options. It does not describe expected transaction volumes, service-level requirements or the costs of connecting. The providers’ claims about scalability and resilience have not been accompanied in the report by test results or independent verification.
The timeline should be read as a plan: the pilot is described as planned for next year, and the providers are expected to be ready by 2029. The report does not establish that either milestone has already been completed.
Pilot Testing and Approval Milestones
The immediate next step is the planned digital euro pilot, which the Deutsche Telekom-Nexi contract is intended to support. The source report places the pilot next year but does not give a specific start date or list its participants. The Spanish consortium’s contract is scheduled to start in May 2027.
Both provider groups are expected to reach readiness by 2029 for connectivity services related to a possible issuance. Further announcements from the ECB will be needed to clarify the pilot’s scope, how payment service providers will connect, and the decision and timetable for any final approval. Until that approval is given, the digital euro remains a potential project rather than a confirmed issuance.
Key Questions
Which companies did the ECB select?
The two groups are Deutsche Telekom and Nexi Payments, and a consortium of Telefónica de España, Telefónica Global Solutions and Indra Soluciones Tecnologías de la Información.
What will the network providers do?
They are contracted to provide connectivity between payment service providers and national central banks and the ECB’s digital euro service platform.
When will the contracts and services begin?
The Deutsche Telekom-Nexi contract has already started and is intended initially to support a pilot planned for next year. The Spanish consortium’s contract begins in May 2027; both groups are expected to be ready by 2029.
Does this mean the digital euro will be issued?
No. The provider selection is an infrastructure decision. The report says a potential digital euro issuance remains subject to final approval.
Can payment firms choose which provider to use?
If the digital euro is offered, payment service providers will have the option of connecting through either provider group, according to the report.
Source: finextra.com
