What are leased lines and are they right for my business? How will my business benefit?

What is a leased line?

This is a direct line between two locations, normally the ISP and the business. The line is not shared (as with normal broadband) so the user has exclusive access.  This brings with it many benefits, particularly when a business may incur high costs when losing internet access.

Is a leased line right for my business?

To decide whether a leased line is right for your business, it is essential to measure the pros and cons. Much will depend upon the size of your company, available budget and how your staff operate.

Companies that need dedicated and secure internet access will opt for a leased line. The bandwidth is available 24/7 and won’t ever experience lapses in speed. Leased lines provide the user with a guarantee that should the internet fail, it will be back to normal very quickly. Data is transferred via a full-fibre connection and not copper wiring. The upload and download speeds will be the same and will never vary.

All of this comes with a higher price tag, which is why smaller companies often stick with broadband.

How will my business benefit?

If you do decide to opt for a leased line rather than traditional broadband, your business will benefit in many ways:

• Internet access downtime is minimised so there is less risk of you suffering a loss of revenue due to the internet connection failing
• Multiple users – even those working remotely – will be able to use the internet 24/7
• The connection will be reliable and very fast with a guaranteed speed

Where a consistent and dedicated bandwidth is essential, a leased line is the best option.  If it does fail, your service level agreement with the ISP will dictate how quickly it will be back up and running. This is often hours rather than days or weeks – like with broadband.

What guarantees does a leased line provide?

Unlike traditional broadband, a leased line does come with guaranteed performance in the form of:

• High-quality connectivity for the internet
• Reliability for telephone VoIP systems
• Connection to the internet for staff working remotely
• Connection to computers in other offices

The bandwidth will be consistent even at peak times, as you will not be sharing with other users.

Key considerations

Some things should be taken into consideration before signing up.

• Installation can take between 30 – 90 days.
• This type of line also costs a lot more than traditional broadband as you are paying for exclusivity.
• If cost is an issue, you may wish to consider going for a lower speed – anything from 2Mbps to 100Mbps are available.
• Large companies with a substantial budget can access a connection equivalent to 10,000 Mbit/s.
• Where security is an issue, a dedicated leased line will help protect data. However, the line is not encrypted so extra measures may have to be taken to comply with stringent requirements if data is extra sensitive.

Making your choice

For most businesses, the loss of the internet can result in substantial losses. Research has shown that one hour without the internet can impact the world economy by £1.5 billion.

How much your business could lose depends upon many variables, particularly with online retailers suffering substantially.  You could also find yourself unable to communicate with remote offices and staff working from home. Your reputation as a business also suffers when customers are unable to reach your website or ecommerce store.

If you’d like to discuss your connectivity options, please reach out to our specialist team today.