Wessex Internet's founder awarded an MBE

James Gibson Fleming, founder of ultra-rural broadband provider Wessex Internet, has been awarded the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for four decades of dedicated service to charity, community and business in the King's 2025 Birthday Honours List.

Living his whole life in North Dorset, the recognition celebrates more than four decades of unwavering services to charities and the local community. From early work in hospice care to co-founding Wessex Internet as a family-run champion of rural connectivity, James has shown how a steady determination, and community-minded approach can have a profound and lasting impact on regional development. His long-term commitment is reflected in a range of initiatives—from growing the family farm to establishing local charities and delivering rural full-fibre broadband through an award-winning digital infrastructure company.

Firsthand experience of poor rural connectivity led James to set up Wessex Internet in 2010, bringing desperately needed high-speed broadband to local parishes. Fifteen years later, the business has grown from a handful of wireless connections into a thriving enterprise spanning 4 counties and employing over 300 people. The company has won numerous national awards, including ‘Rural Enterprise of the Year’ at the Countryside Alliance Awards and ‘UK Fibre Provider of the Year’ and ‘Best Rural Provider’ at the UK Fibre Awards.

James served four years in the British Army with postings in Cyprus, Germany, and Northern Ireland. Following military service, he studied at the Royal Agricultural College before building a successful business career including as Chief Executive of Hanford Plc and later as the founder of Wessex Internet Ltd.

James's charitable work spans three decades, beginning in 1994 when he played a pivotal role in developing Cancer Care Dorset, that provided domiciliary nurses for families affected by cancer throughout the county. During his role as Chairman, the charity merged with Joseph Weld Hospice to create the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, James became Vice President of what is now regarded as one of the best hospice organisations in the country and the only charity providing specialist palliative care in north, south and west Dorset.

In his 16-year role as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, James served as a passionate ambassador for the county, working actively to attract new business and talent to the region. His 36-year tenure as Trustee of the Talbot Village Trust has been instrumental in the transformational masterplan for the area around Bournemouth University's Talbot Campus, which has created significant economic development locally. In 2017, James was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from Bournemouth University.

James Gibson Fleming, Founder of Wessex Internet, said:

“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition which really belongs to the incredible teams at Wessex Internet, the volunteers at Weldmar and the Talbot Village Trust, and the communities who have supported us every step of the way. The approach has always been the same - take the long view, invest in your community, and build something sustainable that will serve people for decades to come.

Any success we have had - whether with the hospice work or building Wessex Internet - has been down to the dedication of local people who believe in serving their communities for the long term. I've simply been fortunate to work alongside such committed individuals who do the real work of connecting and caring for Dorset. This honour is theirs as much as it is mine.”

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