If you’ve been hunting around for an internet upgrade for your business, it’s pretty likely you’ll have stumbled across the term ‘leased line’. These are growing in popularity among many businesses – and with good reason.

But what actually is a leased line? And are they really worth investing in versus other standard broadband options? Let’s take a look.

How does a leased line work?

We could go into all the nitty-gritty technicalities of how a leased line operates, but let’s be honest; you just want a simple answer. But first, to understand the key features, we have to explain how broadband works as it may be something you’ve never actually thought about.

You see, typically, broadband is delivered from your Internet Service Provider (think Virgin Media, BT etc) to a cabinet near your property. You know the ones – grey or green metal boxes that sit on random street corners. You probably don’t pay much attention to them, unless you see some maintenance worker in a high-vis jacket poking around in a slightly underwhelming tent. These cabinets have an incredibly important job; they deliver broadband straight to your home or business via cables. 

Now, the thing is, one cabinet will typically feed multiple homes or businesses – often dozens or even full postcodes. Sharing with others often leads to a slower, weaker broadband connection, especially during peak times.

In the world of broadband, this is known as ‘contention’. If somebody says they have ‘high contention’ this means they’re sharing their internet connection with lots of other people. High contention equals poor internet. 

So, why is this relevant? Because a leased line offers zero contention. Not low contention. Not semi-manageable contention. Zero.

That’s because a leased line cuts out the middle man – and by middle man, we mean that dull cabinet sitting at the end of your street. A leased line runs directly from your Internet Service Provider and straight into the happy arms of your business. 

In other words, if you want your business to have the:

• Speediest internet possible

• The most reliable internet connection possible

• No competition 

A leased line is the best way to achieve this.

No uncertainty

Not only will a leased line deliver faster internet speeds to your business, you’ll also have full transparency over these speeds. With other broadband options, you have to share your connection with other properties, so you never know for sure how fast things will be. 

But a leased line, on the other hand, is for your business and your business only: it’s a 1:1 connection. That means you’ll receive the precise speeds you’re paying for. 

Accessibility

As leased lines don’t have to work around cabinets and existing cables, they can be set up pretty much anywhere. This means, whether you have an office on a major city’s high street or a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, the likelihood of you being able to install a leased line is extremely high. 

Are there any downsides to having a leased line?

The numerous benefits of a leased line do mean they generally come at a slightly higher price than other broadband options. But a higher price does mean a higher quality – and if you ask us, a leased line does provide top-end quality. Plus, as more businesses are tapping into leased lines, the price is slowly, but surely, dropping.

As a leased line is slightly different to installing a standard broadband line, they often take considerably longer to install. However, this doesn’t have to be an issue – it just means you need to think ahead. In other words, if you’re leaning towards a leased line for your business, there’s no time like the present. Act now! 

Ready to switch?

If you like the sound of a leased line, or would like some more information about them, get in touch with the Equations team. No two businesses are the same, so we’ll look specifically at you and your team’s needs, breaking down what a leased line would look like for you.

Give us a call on 01237 420010.