What is a leased line?
A leased line is a highly preferred internet connection for SMEs and established enterprises in the UK. It offers multiple advantages including a direct connection, high speed, and increased bandwidth as compared to other available options in the market. Leased lines use a fiber optic cable network to provide a dedicated connection specifically between a business and its internet service provider. Since this connection is not shared among the users, it means minimum interruptions and downtime for your connection.
Leased lines also provide equal uploading and downloading speed which allows users to send and receive data over the internet efficiently. Businesses in industries with high internet dependence for their operations like healthcare, logistics, IT, software development, e-commerce, and education heavily benefit from the stable connection offered by leased lines.
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How do leased lines work?
Leased lines work by using fiber optic technology to transmit data in the form of light signals over large distances. Fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference, making it almost impossible for connection speed to get slower or for data to be lost during communication.
Leased lines also come in various speeds, ranging from as low as 50 MB to the highest speed of a 10 GB leased line. These high speeds are unmatched by any other type of broadband connection because of the use of the most advanced technology. With the increased efficiency and convenience of using leased lines, the pricing also falls in a high range as compared to other typical broadband connections. You can learn more about the Leased Line Costs & Prices to know how much you can expect to pay for it in 2025.
Pros and cons of leased lines
Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages that come with using a leased line connection for your business.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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What is ADSL?
ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) is a type of broadband connection that uses a telephone lines network for its operation. The term ‘asymmetric’ refers to different bandwidths for uploading and downloading data for an ADSL user. Unlike leased lines, the downloading or receiving speed in this case is significantly higher than the uploading or sending speed.
For example, imagine that you are working from home and need to download a large-sized video of 1GB. With ADSL, it might take you from 5-10 minutes depending on your connection. But if you want to send a video of 1GB over the internet using the same connection, it can take you hours. This happens because ADSL is designed to support user-centered downloading functions (streaming music or movies, browsing, online gaming) as compared to business-centered functions like sending files, uploading data over the cloud, hosting a website, and video conferencing.
How does ADSL work?
ADSL technology allows businesses to send and receive files over the existing copper wire telephone framework while making and receiving calls at the same time. Its working can be explained in the following steps:
- ADSL uses a DSL filter to split the line into two frequency bands.
- Low-frequency → Used for landline phone calls.
High frequency → Used for internet data transmission.
This allows ADSL to use a single line of connection to perform both functions: landline calls and ADSL broadband.
The average bandwidth for ADSL in the UK ranges from 10-100 Mbps for downloading data and 1-2 Mbps for uploading. However, it’s important to know the actual speed provided will vary. If you sign up for 100 Mbps downloading speed, you might get 50-70 Mbps at times depending on the number of users at the same connection and your distance from the telephone exchange. Similarly, an upload speed of 1-2 Mbps might actually translate to a much lower speed in kbps.
Pros and cons of ADSL
ADSL is mostly used by startups, home-based businesses, and domestic connections. Due to its uneven bandwidths for uploading and downloading data, and shared usage with other connections, it is not suitable for medium and large businesses that require high bandwidth to send files over the internet. To compare its pros and cons, let’s take a look at the following table:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Leasedline vs ADSL: Comparison at a glance
| Factors | Leased line | ADSL |
|---|---|---|
|
Cost |
Generally higher cost |
Lower cost |
|
Upload speeds |
Equal upload and download speeds |
Slower upload speeds compared to download |
|
Scalability |
Highly scalable with varying speeds (up to 10Gbps) |
Limited scalability due to copper line limits |
|
Connection quality |
High, stable, and reliable |
May vary |
|
Download speeds |
High, up to 10Gbps |
Typically 10-100 Mbps |
|
Shared usage |
No, dedicated connection |
Yes, shared connection with other users |
|
Type of phone lines |
Fiber optic cables |
Copper telephone lines |
|
Speed |
Consistent and high-speed |
Can fluctuate, especially during peak hours |
|
SLAs |
Typically guaranteed by provider (uptime, support) |
No guaranteed SLAs |
Which option is suitable for your business?
Choosing between an ADSL or a leased line connection mostly depends on your business scale and internet requirements.
- ADSL is ideal for startups, home-based businesses, and a domestic internet connection to perform basic internet functions. It provides a cost-effective solution for businesses that do not require high internet bandwidth when sending files. However, downloading and receiving data is supported in this case.
- Leased line connection is more suitable for medium to large-scale businesses. Especially if your business has remote teams or requires cloud communication which demands a fast, secure, and reliable dedicated internet connection, a leased line is your best choice. Considering the high cost and lengthy setup times, businesses need to carefully analyse whether the cons outweigh the pros and choose the best option accordingly.
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Leased lines offer a highly scalable internet connection that grows with your business. ComparedBusiness streamlines the process of setting up a leased line for your business by connecting you with reliable leased line providers in the UK. Just submit your requirements in under 2 minutes and we will get back to you with quotes from them. This will cost you nothing.
FAQs
No, typically ADSL providers do not provide SLA agreements. A service-level agreement is a formal contract between a provider and a user to outline specific metrics of a service like internet bandwidth, speeds, customer support, response times, maintenance times, and more. Unlike ADSL, leased line providers offer SLAs because it is a business-grade service.
Several factors can affect the quality of an ADSL connection:
- Quality of copper wires.
- Electromagnetic interference.
- Number of active users since it is a shared internet connection.
- Distance from the provider’s infrastructure.
With ADSL, upgrading to higher speeds usually requires switching to a different connection type, like fiber-optic broadband, because of the limitations of the physical network. However, with leased lines, you can easily scale by upgrading the existing connection’s bandwidth without needing to change the service. Simply contact your provider, and communicate your need to scale your connection.
