The European Central Bank (ECB) has entered into agreements with two consortia to facilitate the network connectivity for banks, payment companies, and national regulators to the digital euro platform. The first consortium includes Italy's Nexi and Germany's Deutsche Telekom, while the second consists of Spain's Telefónica and Indra. The contract with the first group has been active since September and covers the needs of the pilot project. Meanwhile, the competing consortium is set to begin operations in May 2027. Both groups are expected to be prepared to support a potential rollout of the digital euro by 2029.