Director general Lord Hall has promised an "open BBC" which collaborates with rival media and the public, and serves as a "catalyst for this country's incredible talent".
Giving his first of a four-part response to the Government's review of its royal charter, Lord Hall said the corporation will "need to ride two horses", serving those who have adopted the internet while continuing to provide traditional broadcasting.
His speech at the Science Museum in London comes after Culture Secretary John Whittingdale announced consultations on the future of licence fee funding for the BBC, questioning whether the corporation should be "all things to all people" or have a more "precisely targeted" mission.
Lord Hall said: "For the next 10 years, we will need to ride two horses - serving those who have adopted the internet and mobile media, while at the same time making sure that those who want to carry on watching and listening to traditional channels continue to be properly served too.
"This is where the idea of an open BBC for the internet age comes from."
The director general said that the internet had made it easier to find information but harder to know whether to trust it.
He added: "In the internet age our mission is simple: great British programmes and a trusted guide for every one of us.
"We want to take all the opportunities the internet creates to inform, educate and entertain in new ways.
"And to that traditional mission we would add a fourth imperative - to enable others to do that too.
"We want to open the BBC to be Britain's creative partner, to become a platform - a catalyst for this country's incredible talent.
"We intend to put our technology and digital capabilities at the service of our partners and the wider industry - bringing us closer together for the good of the country - to deliver the very best to audiences."