Cornish broadband provider Wildanet has become the first UK-based AltNet (Alternative Network Provider) to be a Certified B Corporation.
This recognises Wildanet's commitment to operating as a force for good, prioritising sustainability, ethical practices and social responsibility as part of its successful ‘profit with purpose’ approach to business. B Corporations (or B Corps) are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
The growth of the movement means there are now over 1,750 B Corps in the UK, with more than 85,000 employees. In the telecoms sector, Wildanet becomes one of just three UK-based internet service providers to achieve B Corp certification and the first UK AltNet building and operating its own independent network to be a Certified B Corp.
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Wildanet, founded in 2017 to bring high-speed internet to rural and hard-to-reach areas in the South West, is growing its fibre broadband network in the region and creating more than 180 direct jobs to date, with plans to recruit up to a further 200.
Helen Wylde-Archibald, chief executive of Wildanet, said: “We are delighted and very proud to be recognised as a Certified B Corp and to be leading the way for UK AltNets. Wildanet’s founding mission, our ethos and operation is steeped in responsibility and sustainability. It is about working with and supporting communities in Cornwall and the South West, seeking to balance looking after the environment, looking after people, and growing a successful and profitable long-term business.
“Achieving B Corp certification acknowledges this and reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire Wildanet team in ensuring we not only bring transformational broadband and digital connectivity services to the communities we serve but do so as a sustainable business delivering wider benefits for society and our environment.”
Wildanet’s journey to becoming a B Corp saw the inception and launch of its widely acclaimed B-23 initiative last year, in partnership with Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and LEAP.
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, said: “Welcoming Wildanet to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.”
Kim Conchie, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, added: “Wildanet is a shining example of a Cornish company getting it right; they perfectly balance profit with people and planet, and it's fantastic to see that this has been officially recognised with B Corp certification.
“At the Chamber, we are immensely proud to have Wildanet’s Helen Wylde-Archibald representing Cornwall on the British Chambers' National Business Council. Who better to work in partnership with Government and politicians to drive the future of our economy, than someone who is actively committed to building a greener, more just future through ethical business practice.”
