A little bit of Hollywood is thriving in the Highlands thanks to fast and reliable broadband connections to rural communities.

Carrie Forbes, a voiceover artist and performer, established The Highland Voiceover Studio in Tain after quitting city life as an auditor and mortgage advisor. Not only does Carrie use the recording studio to record adverts, trailers and other voiceovers, she rents it out to some of Hollywood’s biggest producers and well-know actors, with companies including Disney, Nickelodeon and Paramount having used the studio.

Carrie says bringing Hollywood to Tain happened by accident after realising there was a gap in the market for a studio in the Highlands for voiceovers and post-production:

“I used to be an auditor in Newcastle and a mortgage advisor before that so when I relocated to Tain with my kids I couldn’t do any of those jobs in the Highlands – I could have gone into any head office function but there were no head offices in the Highlands. Voiceovers was my hobby so I ended up retraining and did a year with Moray Firth Radio to get the engineering knowledge I would need, then I launched in 2014.

Before, actors and performers up here would’ve had to travel all the way to the Central Belt for their film and TV work. But because I do voiceovers, I’ve already got all the software and setup they need. That means I can work with clients from all over the world right here in the Highlands and it also means actors and voiceover artists can live and work locally without having to commute down to Glasgow or Edinburgh.”

Since getting connected to our ultra-fast 2Gbps symmetrical Broadband for Business, Carrie’s day-to-day operations have transformed, with the studio no longer suffering from slow and unreliable speeds:

“Broadband was difficult. There would be drop-outs during recordings or meetings and it would take a very long time to send big files.

Highland Broadband has made a massive difference. It’s removed the stress of worrying if the broadband is going to fail, and we can send big files quickly. Good broadband makes it easier for me but you could come and set up any kind of business in the Highlands if you’ve got reliable broadband. It’s good for all kinds of businesses.”

As Scotland’s only dedicated broadband provider with local customer support in the heart of Inverness, our full-fibre broadband delivers the speed and reliability modern business demands.

Colin Woodward, Managing Director of Highland Broadband, said:

“We are proud to be able to bring the UK’s fastest fibre broadband network to the Highlands of Scotland. The impact on business and individuals has been remarkable, making our efforts so rewarding and worthwhile. We were delighted to work with Carrie to serve a truly international business and enabling her to thrive through a reliable, full-fibre broadband connection.”

Carrie’s Voice’s faster broadband connection was made possible thanks to funding from the UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme which helped subsidise the cost of the network upgrade.

UK Government Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd said:

“This is exactly why the UK Government-funded Project Gigabit is so important. By overhauling outdated internet networks in hard-to-reach communities, we’re enabling entrepreneurs like Carrie to build thriving businesses, create jobs, and compete on the global stage from the most remote areas of the UK.”

Experience the game-changing speeds of full-fibre broadband in your home or business by signing up to one of our broadband packages. Enter your postcode on our availability checker to see when e’re coming to your area!