Minister visit to 5GRuralDorset project

From left to right: Wessex Internet’s CEO Hector Gibson Fleming with Matt Warman, MP, Minister for Digital Infrastructure and Dorset Council Deputy Leader Peter Wharf.

Wessex Internet’s CEO Hector Gibson Fleming had the opportunity to meet Matt Warman, MP, Minister for Digital Infrastructure when he visited the 5GRuralDorset project on Wednesday 7 July.

The ground-breaking 5GRuralDorset project, led by Dorset Council and part-funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme, is aimed at understanding how next generation connectivity can help people live better, safer and more prosperous lives in rural communities.

Wessex Internet is leading agriculture and aquaculture trials to understand how 5G can be used to address specific challenges in food production, one of the four main research areas within the 5GRuralDorset project. The trials involve farms from across the county, including two large arable farms in North Dorset, a mixed farm at Kingston Maurward College and a shellfish & seaweed farm on the Dorset coast.

“It was a pleasure to meet the Minister when he visited 5GRuralDorset and have the opportunity to discuss how 5G technologies could shape the future of farming and food production,” explains Hector Gibson Fleming. “Like all the partners and collaborators in this Dorset Council led project, we are excited to see it being recognised at the very highest levels of government.”