Orange CEO: Telcos Must Architect Trust In The AI Era
RCR Wireless, Thursday, March 5th, 2026
The CEO of the Orange Group noted in her MWC 2026 keynote that telecom operators must act as the 'active shield of the digital world'
In sum - what to know:
- Telcos must become trust architects - Heydemann said AI is becoming the 'operating layer' of society, requiring operators to evolve from connectivity providers to builders of a trusted digital environment.
- Trust is now a performance driver - As AI-generated content surges and risks multiply, she argued that 'trust is a hard performance driver' and 'the operating system of progress.'
- Resilience and protection are strategic missions - Telecom operators must act as the 'active shield of the digital world,' ensuring cybersecurity, privacy and predictable connectivity.
At MWC 2026 in Barcelona, Orange CEO Christel Heydemann delivered a clear message: In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), telecom operators must move beyond connectivity and become architects of trust.