Telefónica and Minsait to develop secure communications for the European Central Bank’s digital euro
The two companies will create an infrastructure to securely interconnect all participants in the ecosystem, from the ECB to private and public payment facilitators
The 10-year project will provide the technology required for a future digital euro through a combination of communications, data center, cybersecurity, operations and integration capabilities
– Telefónica and Minsait (an Indra Group company) have been selected by the European Central Bank (ECB) as one of the two successful tenderers (https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/756210-2026) for deploying the communications and security infrastructure that will underpin a future digital euro. The infrastructure will securely interconnect the ecosystem of public and private intermediaries involved in the digital currency, including banks, fintech companies and payment service providers (PSPs).
The two companies have formed a consortium to design and deploy networks and related solutions for the ECB, integrating communications with the necessary security services to enable consumers and businesses to exchange information and access the various services and applications. The 10-year contract will enter into force on 3 May 2027.
Borja Ochoa, Chairman of Telefónica España and General Director of B2B, said: “This project is fully aligned with our ambition to be the best gateway to digital technologies for citizens and businesses. It represents a major step forward in our strategy to contribute to a more digital, secure and sovereign Europe, as the digital euro will require robust, resilient and secure communications infrastructure. We can make a significant contribution thanks to our extensive experience in critical networks, connectivity and cybersecurity.”
Luis Fernández, CEO of Minsait, said: “The digital euro is one of the most transformative technology and financial projects currently being undertaken in Europe. For Minsait, contributing to the infrastructure that will make it possible means putting our technological capabilities in critical systems at the service of a more integrated, secure and sovereign financial ecosystem. Our expertise in payment systems, digital identity, cybersecurity and technology integration will help securely connect all participants, build trust and bring this new reality closer to millions of European citizens and businesses.”
Critical infrastructure to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty
Telefónica and Minsait’s proposal, designed with an international scope and a distributed infrastructure, combines communications, data centre, cybersecurity, operations and technology integration capabilities. The project forms part of the development of the facilities and technological capabilities required for a future digital euro, which would be a digital means of payment accepted throughout the euro area, complementing cash. This sovereign technology infrastructure would also enable citizens to use it for commercial transactions without an internet connection.
To achieve this, a set of physical assets would be required to deploy a logical backbone connecting the different participants in the system. Telefónica was selected as one of the two providers of the communications infrastructure and its operation through different business units, as Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS) and Telefónica Tech. This will include the deployment of an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) network, a virtual private network that securely connects different locations, as well as SD-WAN capabilities for multi-site network connectivity and cybersecurity services.
For its part, Minsait would provide the platforms and services that will enable the secure connection and integration of the various applications, systems, and ecosystem participants via APIs (application programming interfaces). It would also supply digital identity solutions, certificates, and trust services through IndraMind Cybersecurity -IndraMind’s cybersecurity unit-, provide a SOC (Security Operations Center) service to detect and respond to threats; ensure the proper identification and access control of the parties involved; and secure communications between the platform’s applications through encryption.
Together, the two companies would help build an essential technology layer connecting the applications and services of a future digital euro with the intermediaries serving citizens and businesses across Europe.