TX-E in the Colac Herald: Rural WiFi Built in Lavers Hill
We were delighted to see TX-E featured in the Colac Herald on 2 October 2026. Reporter Molly Inglis spoke with TX-E's Founder, David McKeown, about how a farm safety question turned into long-range WiFi for rural properties, made right here in Lavers Hill.
Read the Colac Herald article: "Inventor changing connectivity" →
How TX-E started
It began with a call-out from LaunchVic, Victoria's innovation group, looking for ideas to improve farm safety. For us, one question stood out: if you're out on your property with no mobile reception, how do you call for help?
It's a real problem across regional Victoria, from the black spots on the Otway roads to the 2024 shutdown of Australia's 3G network, which left some households unable to connect their devices at all. Out here, connectivity is never a given, so we set out to build something that helps.
What we make
TX-E extends the internet you already have, whether that's NBN, Starlink or 4G, across your whole property. Our systems use WiFi HaLow, a long-range wireless standard that reaches up to 1.5 km and copes with trees, terrain and sheds far better than standard WiFi.
Connect carries your connection to sheds, workshops and outbuildings. One unit sits at your router and one at your destination, with no cables between buildings.
Roam is a portable device that keeps your phone, laptop and other devices online as you move around the property, linking back to your Connect access point.
Both are designed for easy self-installation. There are no SIM cards, no new plans and no need to book a technician. If you can connect to your home WiFi, you can set up TX-E.
Made in the Otways, tested on real properties
Every TX-E unit is built in-house in Lavers Hill. We're building up stock and working with regional landholders who are putting the products through real-world conditions, including tree lines, changing landscapes and the daily demands of a working property. Their early feedback on range and ease of use is helping shape what we build next.
Thank you to Molly and the Colac Herald for sharing our story, and to the landholders helping us test and improve TX-E.
Want better WiFi across your property?
Explore Connect, see how Roam works or get in touch to talk through your property.
David McKeown, Founder, TX-E