Inaugurated in June 2025, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange France, Jérôme Hénique, was in Montpellier on Tuesday, February 24 to preside over a centralized management committee. This was an opportunity to discuss with him the latest news of the group, which has just presented its strategic plan for the next five years.
“What is the purpose of your visit to Montpellier?” “I took office on June 1, 2025. It is important for me to interact with employees and our environment in the region. Orange, in Occitanie, has 5,830 employees, including 1,310 in Montpellier, a territory at the heart of our dynamics. We are the second largest private employer there. We also have 54 stores in Occitanie, four in Montpellier, with the latest one just inaugurated at the Triangle shopping center. Here, we have the Patio, a flagship site that represents our commitment to the well-being of our employees. I was able to meet with them extensively before hosting a centralized management committee of Orange France.”
“This visit comes a week after the launch of a new strategic plan for the next five years. What are the priorities?” “This strategic plan, presented by the Group’s CEO Christelle Heydemann, is called “Trust the Future.” It emphasizes the need for assurance in a world full of uncertainties, whether geopolitical or environmental. It highlights our confidence in Orange’s future and its role as a trusted operator. The plan is based on three convictions. Firstly, the need to strengthen proximity with our customers, whether individuals, companies, or local authorities. Secondly, focusing on innovation to find new areas of growth in connectivity and innovative services. Lastly, ensuring excellence through technological breakthroughs like artificial intelligence (AI) and finding new efficiency levers, especially through our geographical footprint.”
“It is clear that these priorities also apply to France. For instance, we have recently launched a new customer loyalty program that illustrates our commitment to customer proximity. Innovation is key in our offerings, particularly in cybersecurity, fiber deployment, and advancing towards high-speed broadband. Trust and confidence are integral, especially in the realm of cybersecurity which is a growing area for us in both business and residential sectors. Many new services are gradually being introduced to enrich our connectivity offerings.”
“Orange is also an actor in digital sovereignty issues?” “Yes, we are the national operator offering sovereign solutions. This initiative is reflected in our collaboration with Capgemini to develop a sovereign cloud. Also, we host business customers’ data in SecNum Cloud certified data centers. Additionally, we have specific solutions related to defense issues, including a new branch of Orange Business dedicated to this area. These sectors demonstrate both growth opportunities and specific technological and sovereignty challenges where Orange is well-positioned to play a significant role.”
“Artificial intelligence: a major tool in your customer relations?” “AI is crucial for our operations and is implemented ethically and responsibly. We have around 300 projects and 300 use cases, with about half already deployed that impact all areas, including customer relations. For instance, we are deploying an assistant to help customer advisors on calls, reducing time spent searching for relevant information to meet customer needs. AI also supports network intervention tasks, fiber deployment, and post-sales services. It enables tasks such as visualizing faults in network cabinets and predictive maintenance to anticipate potential failures.”
“Our third challenge in AI is its impact on the architecture and scalability of our networks. It is relatively a small part of the data consumption increase today, but its effects are expected to grow, potentially changing traffic patterns significantly in the future.”
“The transition from copper to fiber optic networks and the gradual discontinuation of copper infrastructure began last year with approximately 160,000 municipalities. It continues this year with the cessation of technical services in 763 municipalities, totaling close to 900,000 residential and commercial premises. This transition will continue in batches until 2030.”
“Resilient networks and addressing climate events are strategic objectives for Orange. The aim is to have networks that are both more resistant to climate challenges and quicker or easier to repair, which involves significant engineering considerations regarding network structures and vulnerability assessments based on climate forecasts.”
“The modernization of networks contributes to environmental goals, aligning with Orange’s ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Efforts are ongoing to reduce emissions through equipment recycling, eco-design practices, and network emission reduction strategies. New-generation networks and AI-driven functionalities help adapt transmission power to real-time consumption needs, reducing energy consumption. These initiatives demonstrate Orange’s commitment to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.”
“Orange is committed to promoting safer and more responsible digital practices, especially among young users, through partnerships with organizations like the French Football Federation. We work with educational institutions and organizations to raise awareness about responsible digital use and cyberbullying prevention. Initiatives like the ‘Saferphone’ offer parental protection tools with an AI solution to monitor social media activity, promoting digital literacy and trust in online interactions.”
These efforts demonstrate Orange’s dedication to shaping a more secure and inclusive digital future by fostering trust, ethical AI application, and sustainable practices.
