Orange launches Branded Call to show company names on calls

Only certified calls get a name

Orange says the service prevents a name from appearing on malicious calls. It relies on the number authentication mechanism (MAN) that French operators introduced in 2024 against number spoofing: only calls with the top certification level, "A", can display a name. Orange also checks each company's identity and reputation before accepting it.

Eleven companies tested the service before launch, including research institutes Ipsos and Médiamétrie, placing more than 2 million calls for surveys, technical support and recruitment. Orange Business and partners such as Odigo and Manifone are now selling it to businesses, at undisclosed prices, with more resellers to follow. On 16 November, Orange Business will also launch "Appels de confiance", letting companies show a verified identity on outgoing calls and better protect their brand from impersonation.

Rivals take a different route

Bouygues Telecom announced a similar service, also called Branded Call and built with the US firm Hiya, and plans to add the reason for the call and the company logo in 2027. It also launched Anti-Spam in early October, a network-level filter costing 2 euros per month per line. At Free, mobile customers can reject anonymous calls or set up filters from their account area. These tools block suspicious calls, whereas Branded Call makes legitimate ones recognisable.

Each service works only for its own operator's subscribers, and the benefit will depend on how many companies sign up. A call with no name will still look like any other unknown number.