Let’s compare a leased line vs fibre network connection to know which one is better for your business. Every business now needs a stable and high quality internet connection to complete its day to day processes. There are several choices available such as broadband, fibre leased line and wireless leased lines.
The benefits of fiber broadband are well known, but with time, companies are growing in size and are ready to invest more to get a faster and reliable internet connection. Leased line connection is gaining popularity among businesses due to its unique characteristics, such as symmetrical speed and fixed bandwidth.
If you are looking for the best connectivity solution for your business, you should explore and make a leased line price comparison.This way you can find an internet connection that meets your requirements.
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Leased Line Vs Fibre Broadband
A number of businesses have used fibre broadband for several years and that is why most of the users are well aware of how it works. But you may not know the difference between a fibre broadband connection and a leased line.
fibre Broadband provides an internet connection that you need to share with other local users, while a leased line UK is a connection that is directly provided to your business from your internet service provider and it is not shared with other users.
Leased line vs fibre broadband helps you to understand which one is better for your business.
Following are the main differences between these two options:
- Fixed And Dedicated Bandwidth
- Symmetrical Speed
- Target Users
- Service Level Agreement
- Installation Lead Time
- Cost
- Speed
1. Fixed And Dedicated Bandwidth
A dedicated internet line connection comes with a fixed bandwidth because it is uncontended and not shared with other local businesses. In contrast, a broadband connection lacks this feature. As a result, a number of customers are using it at the same time so that the speed may slow down at peak usage hours.
2. Symmetrical Speed
A fibre broadband provides a different upload and download speed. The upload speed is slower than the download speed. It may not matter when you are using an internet connection for residential purposes.
But when you need an internet connection at the business level, you have to upload large files and need a fast upload as well as download speed. A leased line provides a similar speed in both directions with which you can upload and share files with your clients and team members without wasting your time.
3. Target Users
Another difference between broadband and fibre leased line is in their target market. Broadband is aimed to provide an internet connection to small or start-up companies and to residential subscribers. A leased line UK is focused on providing connections to medium and large businesses. It means that broadband is used to connect homes and a leased line is used to connect offices.
4. Service Level Agreement
One significant characteristic of a business leased line connection is that it comes with a robust Service Level Agreement (SLA). It means that if there is any fault, your leased line provider will fix it within the shortest possible time. It is a premium service that provides minimum uptime, guaranteed speed and 24/7 support.
On the other hand if there is any fault in your broadband connection you may need to wait for hours or even days to get it fixed. It can waste your time and reduce your business performance.
5. Installation Lead Time
A broadband connection takes less time that is usually 10 to 15 working days in installation as it can use your existing circuit. However, a leased line can take longer to install. Usually it takes 60 to 90 working days but the time can vary depending on the location of your premises and how complex the installation is.
6. Cost
The cost of fibre leased lines is far more expensive than the conventional broadband connection. However, the benefits of leased lines are enough to outweigh the cost. So when you get a leased line connection you will see that it is worth investing in it.
7. Speed
With a leased line connection you can get a speed up to 10 Gbps. Broadband offers different upload and download speeds that are usually 80 Mbps for download and 20 Mbps for upload. So we can see that business leased line connection is better than broadband. But it does not mean that broadband connection is totally irrelevant.
If your business is not internet critical and you have a small number of employees, a broadband connection can be perfect. But companies using cloud based applications and a large number of employees should consider a leased line connection.
Fibre Leased Line Vs FTTP
If you are looking for a high-speed internet connection for your business, the only two options you find include fibre leased line and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). Although these are two separate data connectivity solutions, they have many similarities due to which it becomes difficult to choose one for your business.
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connects data from the exchange to your premises using fibre optic cables. It uses your existing broadband infrastructure, which means you need to share your bandwidth with other users and it makes FTTP a contended service. In contrast a fibre leased line is an uncontended fibre optic service and you do not need to share it with others as in FTTP.
The main differences between these two internet connectivity solutions are as follows:
- Speed
- Contention Ratio
- Service Levels
- Cost
- Target Users
1. Speed
With FTTP you will receive asymmetric speed which means the achievable download speed will be faster than the upload speed. Currently the highest download speed that you can get through a FTTP service is between 300 Mbps to 1Gbps.
With a leased line UK you can get a speed meeting your requirement up to 10 Gbps. It offers a symmetrical speed that is scalable anytime to meet your business needs.
2. Contention Ratio
As described earlier, with a fibre to the premises you will get a shared connection. Contention ratio refers to the maximum demand divided by the available bandwidth of your connection. For example, if 30 other businesses are sharing your bandwidth at the peak time, the contention ratio will be 30/1.
In contrast, there is no contention ratio in a fibre leased line because you are the only user using this internet line. This makes a huge difference in the quality of the network that you receive from a leased line.
3. Service Levels
As the FTTP is not specifically designed for business use, the service level agreements of FTTP aim to fix a fault within two working days. However, a dedicated internet line is a dedicated connection that promises to provide a reliable and leased line service providers aim to fix a fault within a matter of hours. Usually it takes 5 hours and sometimes the issue is fixed before a user notices it.
4. Cost
There is a huge difference in the price of FTTP and fibre leased lines. The cost of fibre to the premises connection varies depending on your network provider and the speed you need. It generally ranges from £30 to £60 per month while the leased line starts from around £150 per month. The price of a leased line can increase with the location of your premises and the distance from the internet service provider’s location.
5. Target Users
The FTTP service aims to provide an internet connection to the residential sector or small businesses. While a fibre leased line targets large businesses and the corporate sector.
Another difference is in the contract terms an eased contract is longer than the FTTP connection and can range from 12 months to 60 months. FTTP is superfast broadband that uses fibre optic cables instead of copper wires but fibre leased lines are the best connectivity solutions.
Fibre Leased Line Vs Wireless Leased Line
Fibre and wireless are mediums for delivering the same thing that is a high-speed internet connection. They differ mainly in the installation method but provide almost the same benefits, including high speed, a dedicated connection, and flexible options. A fibre leased line connects you to the internet service provider’s supply point through an underground fibre optic cable.
These cables carry data in the form of light signals, which is why the speed of transferring data is very high. On the other hand for a wireless leased line connection you need to install equipment at the rooftop or side of your building. And a direct line of sight (LOS) to the transmitter.
Let’s take a close look at the difference between these two connectivity solutions.
- Installation Time
- Capacity
- Costs
1. Installation Time
Wireless leased line takes a short time in installation compared to the fibre leased line. In the wireless connection, the service provider only needs to install an antenna at your roof top that is why it usually takes only 7 working days to complete the installation process.
Whether you are in the line of sight or not your network provider will tell you before the installation goes ahead. If you want to upgrade your network speed, it will take almost the same time as installation.
Fibre leased lines can take installation time anywhere between 30 to 90 days. It is because it includes complex processes like digging of roads and laying down the fibre optic cables. Moreover, before starting this procedure your internet service provider needs to take permission from local authorities, which is also time consuming.
2. Capacity
A fibre leased line connection is capable of providing hundreds of gigabytes per cable while a wireless antenna can only provide around 20Gbps. Although you can increase the capacity of wireless connection by installing more antennas, you need to pay each time you want to get an additional one. You may think that wireless is better than the fibre but there are many occasions where a fiber leased line is a better choice.
3. Costs
Generally speaking, a wireless leased line is cheaper to install as compared to a fibre leased line. If you are in the line of sight (LOS) the only cost you need to pay is the installation of the antenna and monthly bill afterwards. The installation of a leased line is a complex process from digging up roads to laying cables.
The extra cost can be cropped up in the form of construction charges. If your premises are not very distant from the service provider’s location, the installation cost will be significantly reduced. Moreover, if you shift your business in a building where fibre infrastructure is already available you can save money on installation. What your service provider needs to do is deliver a connection using your current infrastructure.
When it comes to choosing between wireless and fibre leased line connection it depends on the availability of a service in your area, your budget and required speed. If your business premises are in the line of sight, a wireless leased line can be a cheaper and convenient option. However, if you are present in a rural area, a fibre leased line will be a better and cost-effective option.
Which Businesses Would Benefit From Fibre Leased Line?
A leased line connection is designed to provide high quality and a reliable internet connection to businesses. However, it is a perfect solution for the following businesses:
- Businesses that need ultra-fast speed to run internet critical and remote access programs round the clock.
- Businesses who need unlimited data transfer.
- Businesses that have offices at multiple locations and businesses which use multiple connections simultaneously for running collaboration platforms, data transfer applications, file sharing programs and email access softwares.
- Businesses who want to get reliable and fast data backup with a third party provider.
These are only a few examples but any business can get a dedicated internet line connection if it wants to improve performance, productivity and customer retention.
Understand More About Leased Lines
Most businesses choose leased lines because they offer a reliable connection that is required to improve performance. However, if you are considering getting a leased line connection for your business you must look beyond reliability. You will get a dedicated private connection and there is no competition for bandwidth.
In addition, you can get a customized connection that fits all your business and budget requirements. You can run several business solutions efficiently with a dedicated connection, including cloud-based applications, VoIP telephony, and Virtual Private Networks. Leased line providers offer different packages such as a leased line for small businesses,large business, and corporate organizations so that you can choose one that suits you the best.
When it comes to choosing an internet connectivity solution, there are many options available in the market. From conventional broadband services to leased line services, there is a lot of competition. However, each service provider is working to improve to beat the competition and grab more customers.
Conclusion
You can see from the above comparison that each internet connectivity solution has its own merits and drawbacks. The choice is all yours and it usually depends on the size of your business, how much your business is dependent on the internet, the speed you need and your budget.
Technically speaking, a leased line is the best connectivity solution for businesses. Because it offers high speed and comes with service level agreements that ensure availability round the clock. You should make leased line price comparisons so that you can find a provider offering the best service at competitive market rates.