Leased line vs DSL – Which one is suitable for your business? After all, both are valid sources of quick internet. This article will uncover the differences between the two. By understanding the pros and cons of each, you’ll be equipped to select the optimal solution for your business.
I’ll dive into the speed, reliability, cost and other comparisons to give you a clear view. So let’s begin.
What is a leased line?
A leased line is a dedicated and private connection between two locations, normally used for internet. It is rented by a business from an internet service provider (ISP). The line employs optical fibre normally to transfer the internet signals which results in fast speeds.
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What is DSL?
Digital Subscriber Line or DSL is a type of broadband internet that uses traditional copper telephone lines for the supply of internet service. It uses the existing infrastructure of telephone lines but don’t worry, it’s not the same as the slow-loading dial-up internet that was popular years ago. A DSL line has the ability to carry voice and internet signals simultaneously.
Unlike a traditional broadband connection, DSL is not shared but it will lose its speed as the distance of your business site increases from the ISP premises.
Leased line vs DSL: The differences
Now, let’s have a closer insight into the differences between a leased line and DSL.
1. Installation process
Leased lines require a dedicated connection between the service provider and the business premises. This involves the physical installation of fibre optic or copper cables necessitating the digging and laying of new lines. That makes the process costly and time-consuming. It may take around 45-85 days in urban cities and 3-4 months in rural areas to lay the lines.
The cost can vary depending on the degree of digging and the distance of your business site from the ISP. As a rough range, it can vary from £2000-10,000 in urban areas.
DSL installation, on the other hand, uses existing telephone lines in the UK and your phone wall jack, making the process simple and quicker. Its installation generally involves configuring a DSL modem and ensuring proper line filters are in place to prevent interference with phone services. It generally takes around 5-14 days.
2. Cost
A leased line is way more expensive than a DSL because of its dedicated nature, high reliability and superior performance of the internet connection. Generally, the cost of a leased line with a 100Mbps speed is around £185 – £250 in London. A DSL? Only £25 – £45. This high cost is due to various reasons.
Firstly, leased lines provide exclusive internet connection to your business so the overall price of the line falls upon one user. Secondly, they come with service level agreements (SLAs) which ensure guaranteed uptime of up to 99.999%. Thirdly, they provide symmetrical speeds (equal download and upload speeds) which demand better technology that comes at an uplifted cost.
3. Speed of the internet
Leased lines outshine DSL in this case as well. It is due to the following reasons:
- Leased lines are not affected by the distance between your and the ISP’s premises which means all the bandwidth is transferred to your business exclusively.
- Leased lines offer symmetrical speeds, providing equal download and upload speeds. DSL, conversely, offers asymmetrical speeds where the download speed is always higher than the upload speed. This creates problems when uploading large files or running cloud computing tasks.
- Leased lines use fibre optic. Optical fibres use light instead of electrical signals to transfer internet data which not only provides quicker speed but incurs less intervention from electromagnetic induction as well. Result? Smoother and quicker internet.
- The first ADSL service in the UK was launched in 2000. During all these years, the telephone lines have faced deterioration which may result in slow internet.
4. Bandwidth
Leased lines are known for their high-bandwidth property. They offer packages from 1 MB all the way up to 10 GB. And the best part? You will get the speed that is promised to you.
In the case of DSL, the package you purchase would be 100Mbps theoretically but the download speed you might get will be 50Mbps because your site is far away from the ISP premises. Its bandwidth is limited as well. Normal ADSL packages are up to 100Mbps only. But you can purchase Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) which offer speeds up to 80Mbps and 1Gbps respectively.
5. Reliability
Leased lines are more reliable than DSL and here are the reasons.
DSL relies on copper pairs and telephone lines which are susceptible to environmental factors. Open telephone lines will be affected by storms, rains and thunders while the leased lines, lying peacefully under the ground won’t.
Also, copper wires use electrical signals to carry data signals which are prone to electromagnetic interference. Leased lines use fibre optic which uses light and is free from any such interruptions.
6. Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
One of the biggest differences between leased lines and DSL is the existence of SLAs. An SLA is a formal agreement between a service provider and buyer (e.g. your business) that outlines the expected level of service and repair in case of an issue.
Leased lines come with SLAs which means the provider holds the obligation of providing uptime and maintenance. In typical cases, they offer an uptime of 99.9% which means the downtime may only be 43.8 minutes in a month. Other providers can offer 99.99% and higher agreements as well. You also get a response from the provider within 1-2 hours in case of a problem and it gets fixed within 6-8 hours (provided the issue is not major).
Sadly, DSL traditionally lacks an SLA. While you can file a complaint, you must rely on the provider’s support team to resolve the issue without guaranteed response or resolution times.
The table below summarises all the points.
| Feature | Leased line | DSL |
|---|---|---|
|
Method of transfer |
Dedicated lines from ISP to the business site.
|
Dedicated connection from the telephone line to your business site.
|
|
Speed |
High internet speeds due to fibre optic.
|
Low internet speeds due to copper wires.
|
|
Reliability |
High reliability due to underground lines and optic fibre.
|
Low reliability due to open lines and copper construction.
|
|
Bandwidth |
High bandwidth all the way up to 10 GB.
|
Lower bandwidth, generally in the range of 20-1000Mbps.
|
|
Installation time & cost |
High cost and long time.
|
Low cost and quick.
|
|
Cost |
High cost. £185 - £250 for a 100Mbps line. |
Affordable. £25 - £45 for a 100Mbps line.
|
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A leased line connection offers dedicated bandwidth, consistent speeds and reliable uptime, ensuring a stable and high-performance network. It also provides enhanced security, lower latency and symmetrical speeds, making is ideal for businesses with high data demands.
You can have full fibre connectivity without any broadband connection or line rental. FTTP doesn’t need a phone line so you can skip paying the monthly broadband rent.
FTTH (Fiber to the Home) and FTTP (Fiber to the Premises) are often used interchangeably, but both refer to fiber optic technology that connects two locations. The choice between them is not a matter of one being better than the other, as they provide the same function.
