Winners of national broadband award

Photo Left to right: Charlie Gray, Sales Advisor; Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO; Alice Evans, Community Projects Manager; Holly-Rose Allen, Customer Support Team Leader and Charlotte Absolom, Senior Marketing Executive at Wessex Internet.

Local internet provider recognised for its work delivering full fibre broadband to communities in rural Dorset.

Blandford-based independent internet provider, Wessex Internet, has won a national industry award for its work connecting rural Dorset communities to ultrafast full fibre broadband. Beating internet companies from across the UK, Wessex Internet won ‘Best Rural Hard to Reach Project’ at the INCA Gold Awards, which celebrates the success of independent networks in delivering digital infrastructure in the UK.

The company which is rolling out ultrafast broadband to towns and villages across Dorset, Wiltshire and South Somerset, was recognised for its network roll out in Pallington Heath and Waddock, Dorset – a project made up of two small hamlets and a number of remote properties.

The company impressed judges with its unique focus on community collaboration and its innovative approach to building networks which allowed it to reach even the most remote properties in the area.

Given the rural terrain in the area, one national provider had told a resident whose house was in the middle of a forest that it would be ‘impossible’ to reach his house with fibre, leaving him with no choice but to rely on a makeshift yacht antenna, connected to two data SIM cards for connectivity. Wessex Internet was able to connect this customer and all other properties in the area within six months of initiating the project.

Hector Gibson Fleming, Wessex Internet CEO said: “We’re honoured to have won this national award. This really is testament to the hard work of our team. From the guys out in the fields building our network in all weather to the teams in the office that serve our customers every day, everyone is passionate about bringing fast, reliable broadband to local communities and we’re really proud of what they have achieved.

“The project was just one of the hundreds of local rural communities we have connected to full fibre broadband in the last few years. With recent growth in our company, we’re excited that we will be bringing full fibre broadband to thousands more homes and business in local market towns, villages and hamlets in the next few years.”

Alastair, a Wessex Internet customer in Waddock, said: “I am more than happy with the service and have a very good connection thanks to Wessex Internet. This award is thoroughly deserved and a great example of how a small business can be innovative, flexible and nimble (and beat the big boys!)”