A new chapter in Oxfordshire’s digital connectivity is beginning, as central Thame is set to become the first UK town to benefit from Teleauora’s innovative gigabit-capable wireless broadband network.
Teleauora’s rollout will bring ultrafast, reliable connectivity to parts of the town that have historically struggled with poor broadband coverage. Using advanced 5G millimetre wave technology, the solution can be deployed quickly and with minimal disruption—helping local businesses and communities access the digital tools they need.
Supporting investment in underserved areas
Oxfordshire County Council’s Digital Infrastructure Programme (DIP) has played a key enabling role in supporting Teleauora’s investment in Thame.
Early engagement between the DIP team and Teleauora in 2025 explored opportunities for deploying their technology in Oxfordshire, including identifying areas with limited gigabit connectivity. Central Thame emerged as a strong candidate, where connectivity ‘not-spots’ aligned with Teleauora’s innovative wireless approach.
From that point, DIP worked collaboratively to help turn the concept into a deliverable project—bringing together local stakeholders, providing practical guidance, and helping to remove barriers to deployment.
Enabling a collaborative, place-based approach
As part of its supporting role, the DIP team:
- Connected partners locally, introducing Teleauora to Thame Town Council and the local business community to build understanding and support
- Shared local intelligence, helping to identify priority areas where improved connectivity would have the greatest impact
- Provided practical delivery support, including guidance on surveys, street works best practice, and navigating deployment requirements
- Helped unlock infrastructure access, supporting the use of existing ducting routes to minimise disruption and reduce the need for additional civil works
This collaborative, place-based approach demonstrates how local authorities can play a vital role in enabling private sector investment—helping innovative providers bring forward solutions more quickly and effectively.
What this means for Thame
For local businesses and residents, the benefits will be significant. Faster, more reliable broadband will support everything from card payments and online bookings to remote working, cloud services and customer connectivity.
Just as importantly, this approach avoids the delays and disruption often associated with traditional fixed-line rollout, helping communities access next-generation connectivity sooner.
Craig Bower, Director of the Digital Infrastructure Programme, said:
“Central Thame is a beautiful, historic area where traditional infrastructure works with fibre would be particularly challenging. We’re pleased to support Teleauora in delivering an innovative wireless solution that enhances connectivity for local businesses and residents, while preserving the character of the area. The solution is unobtrusive, resilient, and rapidly deployable, making it ideal for the area. We’re also interested in how this solution might be applied to other locations with similar challenges.”
Grant Smith, CEO at Teleauora said:
“Our technology has been proven in residential and industrial estates across Australia, even withstanding tropical cyclone conditions, so we’re thrilled to be bringing this solution to the UK for the first time. There is a growing demand for telecommunications infrastructure that is both fast, smart and visually unobstructive, so we’re glad to be partnering with the council’s Digital Infrastructure Programme to provide better connectivity for central Thame through our innovative solution.”
Looking ahead
Thame marks the first step in Teleauora’s wider UK ambitions, with the potential to replicate this model in other underserved communities.
For the Digital Infrastructure Programme, this project reflects a core part of our role:
enabling the right conditions for investment, supporting innovation, and ensuring that communities across Oxfordshire can benefit from future-ready digital infrastructure.
Find out more about Teleauora: https://www.teleauora.com