Understanding Leased Line Services for UK Businesses

In a recent survey, 55.6% of businesses said they risked losing a client as a consequence of poor internet connectivity, speed or reliability*, so it comes as no surprise that many UK businesses use dedicated connectivity, also known as a leased line.

In this guide, we’ll dive into what leased lines are, how they work, and why they’re beneficial for businesses in the UK.

What is a Leased Line?

A leased line provides dedicated internet directly from the service provider to the customer’s premises. Unlike traditional broadband connections, which are shared among multiple users and can experience fluctuations in speed and reliability, leased lines are not used by anyone else externally.

If you think of it like a motorway at rush hour, the more people using the road, the slower the cars will travel. A leased line acts as a completely separate road with no traffic on it at all, meaning speed and reliability are unaffected by peak times as it is totally dedicated to your business.

How Do Leased Lines Work?

Leased lines operate by leasing a dedicated fibre optic cable from the service provider to the customer’s location. These lines have guaranteed bandwidth and consistent speeds as they are not shared with other users. This ensures high reliability and low latency, making leased lines ideal for businesses that rely on fast and stable internet access for their day-to-day operations.
Leased lines are used by businesses of all sizes and can operate with varied bandwidths - our lines generally range from 100Mbps through to 10Gbps, so we can offer exactly what a customer needs without overengineering.

Benefits of Leased Line Services for UK Businesses

There’s a reason why leased lines were used by 39% of the UK business internet market in 2023, and that number is increasing**. With leased lines, businesses can enjoy a reliable internet connection with minimal downtime. Since the line is dedicated solely to the subscriber, there are no fluctuations in speed or performance caused by peak usage times or network congestion.

There are different types of leased lines - we offer fibre and/or wireless. This means that we can relay fibre to your site wirelessly, using point-to-point radios, allowing for rapid delivery and a potential back-up system.

Leased lines offer symmetrical speeds, meaning that the upload and download speeds are the same. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that rely on uploading large files, video conferencing, or hosting online services.

They are also highly scalable, allowing businesses to easily increase their bandwidth as their needs grow. So if your business needs 100Mbps or 10Gbps, there is always an option suitable. For us, that means making sure businesses can adapt to changing demands without experiencing any disruptions to their connectivity.

Leased lines provide a secure connection between the business premises and the service provider’s network. This enhanced security is crucial for businesses that handle sensitive data or require secure communications.

Many providers, including ourselves, offer Service Level Agreements (SLAs), guaranteeing uptime and performance levels. These SLAs provide businesses with peace of mind knowing that they will receive the level of service they require.

Choosing the Right Leased Line Provider

When selecting a leased line provider for your business, it’s essential to consider several factors including reliability, scalability, support and cost.

We provide leased lines because we know how essential they are to today’s businesses. We have created our own fibre network and we can get our OnNet clients installed in as little as 20 days. The length of the installation process is a very important factor in the decision-making process, particularly if the client is moving into a new office space, since connecting to the internet needs to be done as quickly as possible.

We constructed our own fibre network specifically to connect people to the internet much more quickly than the industry standard. We can even get you connected in as little as 24 hours if your office is in one of our Preconnect® buildings. If not, we can install the fibre network in just 20 days, or provide you with a wireless network in as little as 10, meaning you’ll be connected to high speed internet much faster than the industry standard.

To sum it up, leased line services offer a range of benefits for businesses in the UK, including reliability, symmetrical speeds, scalability, security, and SLAs. By understanding how leased lines work and selecting the right provider, businesses can ensure they have the connectivity they need to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

If you want to find out more, visit https://telcom.uk/leased-lines-uk.