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The annual King’s Birthday Honours (2025) have just been published, which includes a couple of people from the United Kingdom’s telecommunications sector, such as the founder of alternative rural broadband ISP Wessex Internet, James Gibson Fleming, who scooped an MBE for services to community, charity and businesses in Dorset.
The honours’ system is technically designed to recognise people who have made achievements in public life and or committed themselves to serving and benefiting Britain, such as by helping to make the lives of other people or communities better. Proposed awards are chosen by the honours committee and their decisions go to the Prime Minister and then to the King, who awards the honour.
In this case, James Gibson Fleming was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) title for “services to Charitable Causes and to the community in Dorset”. This covers a lot more than just his work with Wessex Internet (i.e. various work with charities and the local community).
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.”
In addition, Professor Simon Reza Saunders (Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering) – Honorary Professor at the University of Bristol – was separately awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “services to Telecommunications“.
Simon has done a lot of work on antennas and wireless networks, he’s also the co-founder and Director of Technology for independent wireless strategy advisory firm Real Wireless.