If you’re wondering about the differences between a leased line and a broadband connection, you’re probably weighing up the pros and cons of the two solutions, trying to find out which is right for your business.

Let’s take a closer look at both.

What’s The Difference Between A Leased Line And Broadband? 

The two connectivity solutions have major differences in speed, reliability, cost and installation times.

A leased-line is a dedicated connection between your location and the local exchange, so, your connection is private and will not be interrupted. Whereas a broadband connection is shared with other users meaning that you might experience issues such as slow Wi-Fi at peak times. 

Each solution also offers different pros and cons that you need to understand and weigh up in relation to your individual business needs.

Keep scrolling to check out the differences in detail.

Speed 

One of the major differences between leased lines and broadband is the speed they offer. 

Fast connectivity is incredibly desirable in the modern work environment, which is what makes leased lines an attractive offering as their bandwidth transmission speeds range between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps upstream and downstream. 

This means that you can transfer large amounts of data without any loss of speed all day. 

This is achieved through a symmetrical connection, unlike broadband which has an asymmetrical connection. 

The asymmetrical connection results in a much slower upload speed even though download speeds are still quite fast. Overall, the speed offered by a leased line connection is much more stable since it is not affected by peak hours like a broadband connection. 

Contention 

Broadband is contended connection, whereas leased lines are uncontended. 

This means that your leased line connection is only for you, the leaseholder, whereas a broadband connection is shared. 

A shared broadband connection often means slower speeds at peak times which results in buffering, slow upload and download speed and poor connection in video conferencing. In this case, the uncontended connection of leased lines is perfect for companies that use cloud heavy applications daily and are always dependent on connectivity. 

Latency 

Broadband has high latency compared to leased lines that have low latency. 

Latency is the time it takes for data to be transferred from its source to its destination. Actions will respond faster with a leased line connection than a broadband connection. 

Can you see how leased lines have a lot of super-fast benefits? 

Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Connections 

Leased lines offer a symmetrical connection meaning that the upload and download speeds match each other. 

Broadband connections are asymmetrical meaning that they have a fast download speed but a poor upload speed. Fast upload and download speeds are especially crucial for video conferencing, so leased lines definitely favour companies that use video conferencing often.

It also maintains performance levels 24/7 so you can be confident in your connection all day long. 

Service Level Agreement 

All leased lines come with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which ensures that if you experience any issues with your leased line, your provider is contracted to resolve the issue quickly. 

This differs from broadband connections where SLA agreements are looser, usually meaning that you are left waiting longer for repairs in the event that an issue arises.  

Cost 

Leased lines are considerably more expensive than broadband connections, primarily because the leased line is reserved solely for the leaseholder. 

Also, the complexity of installation compared to other options like Asymmetric Digital Subscriber (ADSL) or FTTC connections, raises the price higher. 

However, when comparing prices between a leased line and a broadband connection, it is key to weigh up the benefits of speed, guaranteed performance and security against the disadvantage of steep pricing. 

Price can also be affected by your location, requirements, how much bandwidth you require and whether you would need voice capability as well as data transmission to be included. 

For a no-obligation quote, you can head over to our live chat and provide your postcode to get an accurate price from a member of our team. 

Installation Time 

Due to the complexity of the project, leased lines take much longer to install compared to broadband connections.

The process can take months rather than weeks since leased lines are installed point to point between your location and the local exchange. 

The installation process takes a lot of planning to ensure there’s no disruption to daily business operations which is something you need to consider when planning your project. Depending on your requirements Boxx can typically install within 30 to 90 days. 

Which Is Best for You?

After comparing and understanding the differences between leased lines and broadband connections, you should have a better idea of which one you prefer over the other. 

If there’s going to be a lot of business-critical traffic using your internet connection, then a leased line is likely to be a better option.

However, if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, and have fewer people in your office, a broadband connection could be the right way to go.

If you’d prefer to chat with a member of the Boxx team to get more information or an accurate, no-obligation quote then you can open a live chat with a team member and get answers right away, or give us a ring on 01908 350750. We’re happy to help.

Leased Lines are a dedicated line from between two premises usually used by businesses to achieve high-speed internet connections and guaranteed upload and download speeds. 

It’s like renting a private lane on the motorway. On this private lane, you can determine the speed limit both ways. With a leased line connection, you will benefit from 100% of the bandwidth since your connection is not shared with anyone else. 

This means no more slow Wi-Fi at peak times or buffering video calls! 

The Advantages of a Leased Line 

Leased lines have several advantages over a standard broadband connection.

Faster Upload And Download Speeds

Leased lines offer a symmetrical internet connection, meaning that your connection will provide you with equal download and upload speed. This symmetrical connection will allow you to upload and download substantial amounts of data without any loss of speed. The connection is much more stable, and you will not have to wait for off-peak times to transfer data which is often the case with other internet connectivity solutions. 

Leased lines offer bandwidth transmission speeds between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps upstream and downstream. This is called an “asynchronous” connection. This is perfect for services such as VoIP and cloud backup. 

Also, unlike your regular broadband connection, there are no usage caps on the amount of data you can transfer!

Reliability

Leased lines offer a more reliable connection compared to your standard DSL broadband. 

This is because our connection is consistent and ‘uncontended’ since you are the only one using it, it is not affected at peak times. 

It maintains its performance level 24/7 so you can always be connected and confident. You can also use as much data as you need for the monthly price agreed.

Support 

All leased lines come with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which guarantees that you will get a faster repair time in the unlikely event that any connectivity issues arise. 

This often means any failure is rectified within hours, not days or weeks which is standard for broadband connections. 

Security 

Dedicated lines can also protect against data corruption and cyberattacks. 

As more people adapt to hybrid working, hotdesking systems and full remote working this feature gives you greater confidence that your business and employees are protected. 

The Disadvantages of a Leased Line

Now all these excellent features do not come without a few downsides. We’ve listed some disadvantages of leased lines below that you should consider before installing a leased line for your business. 

Cost

Compared to other options like Asymmetric Digital Subscriber (ADSL) or FTTC connections, leased line are much more expensive. 

The inflated cost is due to the fact that the line is reserved exclusively for the leaseholder. However, the dedicated speed, guaranteed performance and security offered by them is what makes them so valuable to many business owners when comparing options.

The price can be influenced by several factors such as the speed of connection you want, how much bandwidth you need, your location, whether you would need voice capability as well as data transmission to be included. 

At Boxx you can get a leased line for as little as £149 per month, depending on your location. 

Longer Installation Process 

Installing a leased line can take months rather than weeks since it is a much more complex installation process than other connectivity options. 

They are installed point to point between your location and your internet service provider’s equipment. You would need to be confident and plan your project accordingly to ensure business communications continue uninterrupted. 

With Boxx, this process can take between 30 to 90 days depending on your requirements. 

Is a Leased Line Right For Me?

There are certainly some great benefits to leased lines that can improve your daily business operations massively once implemented, however, there are a few cons to consider before jumping into a purchase. 

If your company relies heavily on data transfers for its day-to-day operations a leased line is a must-have! 

Superfast internet access, uncontended connection, reliability, support, and security are added benefits next to the huge impact faster upload and download speeds will have on the efficiency of your business with a leased line. 

If you’d like to get an accurate, no-obligation quote now, simply jump onto our live chat and a member of our team will be happy to help you. 

You can also call us directly on 01908 350750 to discuss your options, any concerns, ideas and how Boxx can best support your business. We’re happy to help. 

These days, a reliable internet connection is crucial for running a business.

But with so many options out there, you might be confused about which is going to be the right choice for your business.

One of those options is a Leased Line.

But what are Leased Lines? And how are they different from a broadband connection?

What Is A Leased Line?

In a quite simple sense, Leased Lines are like renting a private lane on a motorway for you to get to work. 

If motorways were internet lines this would be a private highway with a speed limit you decide to go both ways. 

More accurately, a leased line is a dedicated, fixed-bandwidth data connection. It allows companies to have reliable, high-quality Internet access, and guarantees upload and download speeds, uptime, and control. 

A leased line is ‘dedicated’ meaning that the bandwidth along the route of your leased line is reserved only for your use. 

“Leased” is not to be confused with financial services products, a car lease or a lease for office equipment. Leased in the context of a leased line refers to Internet service providers (ISPs) directly renting availability of their network to companies like Boxx who in turn provide customer services beyond standard broadband. 

What Is The Difference Between A Leased Line And Broadband?

This is a question you may ask yourself a lot when researching a new business connection.

Broadband is different because the connection is shared with other users. Leased lines are uncontended – i.e. Not shared with other users outside of your organisation. I’m sure you’re familiar with that slow, frustrating slow internet usually after school, on school holidays or even in the evenings. We go home, connect our phone, tablet, or TV, and start streaming, browsing, or downloading content and almost all media we consume is online. 

When everyone in your area is doing the same thing, this slows down your connection – just like a busy motorway. The busier the roads, the slower you can drive. 

Leased lines are symmetrical, which means that they have the same upload and download speed. Unlike broadband which is asymmetrical, meaning you have a much faster download. 

Asymmetrical connections work great for streaming and not so well for video calls where information is going both ways at the same time. Ever frozen but you can still hear and see the other side? Well, that could be because your upload speed has probably bottlenecked, so you aren’t sending information to the receiver while your download is working just fine with the incoming data streams. 

With a dedicated line, the bandwidth you need has been given to you, so only you can access it. This means that your connection will not be affected by peak hours throughout the day and it’s more secure.

How Do Leased Lines Work? 

A Leased Line is a dedicated physical line right into your building. The fibre is then terminated to a box on the wall known as an NTE. 

An NTE is a small box that takes the exterior Fibre cable and converts it to a connection (Ethernet) to connect to a managed router.

When the NTE converts Fibre to Ethernet, it is known as a “Copper presentation” 

A leased line can also be configured with a “Fibre presentation” if required for specific reasons. 

A fibre optic leased line works by delivering light pulses down a glass fibre cable, with data travelling at light speed to the NTE

Leased lines can scale up to 10Gbps (Gigabits per second) and can be adapted to your specific company needs, satisfying both capacity and financial constraints.

Confusingly Leased lines are often referred to in different ways. 

• Full Fibre Ethernet
• Fibre Ethernet
• Ethernet Access Direct
• DIA or Direct Internet Access
• Ethernet (this one annoys us!

“An Internet leased line is a premium Internet connectivity product, normally delivered over fibre, which provides uncontended, symmetrical bandwidth with full-duplex traffic. It is also known as an Ethernet leased line, dedicated line, data circuit or private line.”

What Are The Advantages Of A Leased Line? 

There are so many advantages to investing in a leased line for your business. Check out our list below to decide if they’re the right fit for your company. 

Reliability

Improve reliability and performance-Internet connection for your use only 

You’ll never have to worry about a drop in your internet connection again with a dedicated line. It maintains its performance level 24/7 so you can always be connected and confident. You can also use as much data as you need for the monthly price agreed.

Symmetrical Upload and Download Speeds

Not only higher available speeds, up to 10Gbps but also the same speeds up as down.

Fast upload is very important for sharing large data files, video conferencing or running your own in-house servers to host websites. 

Support

If an unforeseen situation occurs, you will get a faster repair time since all leased lines come with a Service Level Agreement (SLA), guaranteeing immediate action for connectivity issues. Any failure is usually rectified within hours, not days or weeks which is often the case with broadband connections. 

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Leased Line?

Whilst there is a great range of advantages to having a leased line, there are also a few disadvantages you should consider before installation. 

Longer Installation Time

Installing a leased line takes a bit longer than broadband because each fire connection is unique and dedicated. Also, they are installed point to point between your location and your internet service provider’s equipment. This process can take between 30 to 90 days depending on your requirements. 

Cost

Leased lines are more expensive than broadband this is because they are reserved exclusively for the leaseholder. However, the dedicated speed, guaranteed performance and security offered by them is what makes them so valuable to many business owners when comparing options. 

Who Needs A Leased Line? 

Now after learning a bit more about leased lines and how they can benefit your business, you may be drawn to a leased line purely for the benefit of speed. 

Having superfast internet access in an era of increased cloud service usage makes a lot of sense. However, speed is simply one of the elements that make dedicated connections such an important part of a businesses’ infrastructure. The reliability of a dedicated line as well as the support offered through SLA’s mean that any failure is usually rectified within hours, not days or weeks. 

For companies that rely heavily on data in their day-to-day operations, a leased line is a must-have.

If you think a leased line could be the right option for your business, you can chat with a team member live or give us a ring on 01908 350750 and we’ll be able to help you decide if it would be a good fit. We’re happy to help.

FAQs

How Much Does A Leased Line Cost?

At Boxx you can get a leased line from £149 per month depending on your location. 

Head on over to our website for an accurate, no-obligation quote from one of our friendly team members. 

What Can Affect The Price Of A Leased Line?

Leased line pricing can be affected by location, bandwidth, and contract length. Let your provider know all your requirements and information for an accurate quote. 

How Long Does It Take For A Leased Line To Be Installed? 

Leased lines can take anywhere from 30-90 days to install based on your location and requirements. This is due to the complex installation method where a leased line will require a completely new circuit and labour to successfully connect to your location and your provider’s network. 

What’s The Difference Between A Leased Line And A Dedicated Line?

A “Leased Line” and a “Dedicated L ine” are the same thing – they’re simply different terms that are used interchangeably.