If you’ve been looking to upgrade your business broadband, you might have seen leased lines mentioned. If you’re wondering what they are and how they differ from other types of broadband internet connection, Carden Telecoms can help.
Let’s take a look at the details. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of whether leased lines are worth it for your business.
What Is A Leased Line?
A leased line is a full-fibre connection between any two premises which is exclusively for the use of those premises. It does not connect via a telephone cabinet. Generally, this connection is between your office and your telecom provider. It could, however, also be used to connect to branches of the same business directly.
Leased lines are sometimes known as data lines or “private broadband circuits”.
How Do Leased Lines Differ From Standard Broadband Connections?
- The key difference between this and other broadband types such as FTTP, FTTC and ADSL connections is that business leased line connections provide dedicated internet access to a single customer only. Conversely, FTTC, FTTP, and ADSL connections may be shared by upwards of 20 other users. This shared use is known as contention and is one of the reasons that your internet speed can fluctuate throughout the day. Leased lines are uncontended.
- The upload and download speeds are also closer. This is necessary for businesses as they are more likely to be uploading large amounts of data than a home user.
- The service level agreements for business broadband, and for dedicated leased lines in particular, tend to be much more stringent than in other connection types.
- The entire connection is made using fibre optic cable, unlike FTTC and ADSL connections which are made partly using outdated, unreliable copper connection.
What Are The Advantages Of A Leased Line?
- The line speed is significantly faster than anything you could expect from FTTC or FTTP connections.
- The more balanced up/download speed ratio is useful for businesses which upload a large amount of data as well as downloading. For instance, companies which use continuous cloud backups, frequently send large files, or those which make heavy use of video calling and video conferencing, would benefit from the increased upload speeds.
- The lack of contention means that the speed of the connection is more dependable, and you won’t have your internet access throttled during busy periods.
- The improved service level agreement leased lines offer ensures that downtime is kept to a minimum.
- You get the true speed advertised, not a “best effort” speed.
- The increased bandwidth will be helpful if your business has multiple remote workers connecting at one time.
- As they are not switched circuits, leased line data connections do not require a phone line to operate. Given that phone calls are less important than ever before, this might be the perfect opportunity to do away with your business phone line and switch to a fully VoIP-based environment.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Leased Line?
As installing a leased line often involves work in the street, the cost can be prohibitive for very small businesses. The lead time required can also be as long as 90 days.
Is A Leased Line The Best Choice For Your Business?
In theory, every business would benefit from the fastest, most reliable connectivity possible. However, in practice, the cost and installation time may make leased lines unfeasible for some companies. Given these factors, you need to consider whether the business benefits of a leased line would be cost-effective for your business. You should prioritise getting a leased line if your business:
- Frequently conducts high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing.
- Want to connect two of their premises directly.
- Use real-time, continuous cloud backups.
- Have several VoIP telecoms users.
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what a leased line is, its advantages and whether one would be the right choice for your business. If you’d like to learn more about leased lines or speak with an expert who can run through the finer details with you, give our team a call today. We’ve helped businesses across the UK to upgrade their business broadband.
