Orange Romania has planned investments of EUR 237 million in Romania in 2026 to expand the mobile network, accelerate fiber deployment, increase the use of AI in network operations, and consolidate cybersecurity.
The company has begun implementing locally its global Trust the Future strategy, marking an expansion of its traditional telecom operator model to that of a provider of digital infrastructure and services.
“For many years, competition in the telecommunications industry revolved around network speed, coverage, and performance. While these will undoubtedly remain important, they will no longer be sufficient to meet customers’ increasingly complex needs. The next decade will belong to operators capable of building trusted digital infrastructure. In a world where AI is increasing both digital complexity and risk, trust will become the primary criterion by which customers choose their providers,” Julien Ducarroz, CEO of Orange Romania, explained.
“Orange has already taken the necessary steps to evolve from a telecommunications operator into a provider of digital infrastructure and services. This is the strategy we are pursuing in Romania, and our response to the profound changes shaping our industry. We are investing in next-generation networks, cybersecurity services, and technologies that extend connectivity from the Bucharest Metro to direct-to-device satellite communications.”
As digital infrastructure increasingly underpins Romania’s economy, from digital payments and banking services to hospitals, airports, industry, public administration, and AI-powered applications, the company said it was investing in networks “that deliver high availability, low latency, and ever-higher levels of security.” Orange said it offers fixed broadband speeds of up to 2.1 Gbps for residential customers and up to 10 Gbps for businesses, while its 5G/5G+ network is now available in more than 120 cities, with coverage expanding continuously.
5G/5G+ expansion, declining voice traffic
The company is expanding its 5G+ services along Romania’s Black Sea coast, in the city of Constanța, and at the Bucharest subway, where coverage already covers more than 45 stations, including the tunnels. By the end of May, approximately 3.5 million active devices in the Orange network were compatible with 5G+ services. To further encourage adoption, the operator has launched a 15-day free trial of its 5G+ service.
This comes as voice is no longer the primary driver of traffic, and overall voice traffic declined by 16.3% year on year, a trend the company expects to continue with the emergence of AI-related traffic. If traffic is generated today by streaming applications, in the future it will be driven by AI applications, the CEO explained.
At Orange, 17% of traffic is 5G and 5G+, while AI related traffic makes up 130TB per month. The company sees more than 1 million active users on AI applications every month on the Orange network in Romania.
5G Standalone tests at concerts
Following its first operational deployment in the Danube Delta, the company has tested this spring 5G Standalone in high-density traffic scenarios. Unlike the current 5G architecture, 5G Standalone enables the creation of dedicated network “slices” for critical services through the Network Slicing technology. This means that applications such as emergency communications, payment terminals, surveillance systems, and private industrial networks can maintain consistent performance regardless of the traffic generated by regular users.
During the largest trial, conducted at a Bucharest concert attended by tens of thousands of people, the network achieved more than 33,300 users connected simultaneously. Total data traffic exceeded 5.1 TB, while average 5G download speeds reached 141 Mbps, the company said.
“Ten years ago, we were asked mainly for sponsorship. Today, the festivals are asking us for technology. They need the technology to run the festival. They need connectivity. Many years ago, we were a sponsor, and now we are a technology provider,” Ducarroz explained.
SCUT services for more than 100 companies
SCUT, the cybersecurity company launched last year by Orange Business in partnership with Orange Cyberdefense, serves more than 100 companies. It has investigated over 7,000 security incidents, and continuously monitors more than 2,400 devices. This reflects “the strong growth in demand for security services, driven by increasing need for 24/7 monitoring, early threat detection, and rapid incident response, all enhanced by AI,” the company said.
SCUT delivers Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, providing real-time protection for all of a company’s devices and systems, regardless of its size, through a centralized view of the entire IT environment.
Wi-Fi 7 for residential customers
After introducing Wi-Fi 7 for business customers, Orange is bringing the technology to the residential market with the launch of its Giga Wi-Fi service and its Giga Box Wi-Fi 7 device. In tests conducted by Orange Romania, the Giga Box achieved Wi-Fi download speeds exceeding 2,000 Mbps and upload speeds of more than 900 Mbps using the latest-generation Wi-Fi 7-enabled smartphones and laptops, the company said.
Orange has more than 11 million customers locally and a yearly turnover exceeding EUR 1.5 billion. Since entering the local market, it has made investments amounting to EUR 4.7 billion, it said.
(Photo: LCVA|Dreamstime.com)
simona@romania-insider.com
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