A leased line is a dedicated, uncontended fibre connection that gives a business the same guaranteed upload and download speed, usually backed by a fault-fix service level agreement (SLA). In the UK, leased lines are sold by network owners such as BT (over Openreach), Virgin Media Business, CityFibre and Colt, and by resellers using those networks. Speeds typically run up to 10Gbps.
Key Takeaways
- A leased line is symmetric and uncontended: the bandwidth is reserved for one business and is not shared with neighbours.
- UK leased lines are commonly offered up to 10Gbps, and Openreach’s Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) product, which many providers resell, covers speeds from about 10Mbps to 10Gbps.
- Installation usually takes about 60 to 90 working days, far longer than broadband, and contracts typically run 12 to 60 months.
- Leased lines cost more than broadband; one comparison site quoted roughly £69 to £600 a month as of September 2026, depending on provider, speed and location.
- The analogue phone network (PSTN) closes on 31 January 2027, so phone systems, alarms and card machines on old lines need a digital replacement.
Leased lines are a common choice of network connection for businesses that depend on the internet. A leased line delivers a reliable, private, high-speed connection that helps solve problems such as network contention, low performance, and security issues that are associated with shared networks. Leased line providers in the UK sell dedicated circuits at a range of speeds, contract lengths and service levels, so a business can match the connection to its needs.
The best network solutions for competitive businesses from leased line providers in the UK
What is a Leased Line and Why Do I Need It?
Internet connectivity is one of the most important things to consider for both small and large businesses. Modern workplace relies heavily on network connection: you simply cannot run a business without access to the Internet, email, and other services, such as VoIP (IP telephony).
Many small businesses use consumer or business broadband, which is cheaper but shared and usually sold without a fault-fix guarantee. Leased line providers in the UK offer a dedicated alternative for businesses that cannot afford slowdowns or long outages.
So what’s the difference between consumer broadband connection and a leased line?
Consumer broadband uses shared connection from the point of access to the local exchange. This means that you are not the only user of the data channel, and your network performance relies on the amount of traffic from other subscribers and is subject to contention. It is also asymmetric, which means faster download speed than upload.
A leased line is a dedicated connection from your office to the provider’s network. Its bandwidth is fixed and reserved exclusively for your company, which is why leased lines are described as uncontended. It is a symmetric connection that delivers identical speed of upload and download.
Choosing this technology means higher speeds, better security and reliability of your network connection. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of a leased line.
The Advantages of Leased Line Providers in the UK
Speed
Older broadband connections rely on copper telephone wires: ADSL2+ tops out at 24Mbps download and about 1.4Mbps upload, and FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) at up to 80Mbps download. What’s more, a copper connection gets slower with distance: the further you are from the exchange or cabinet, the slower your ADSL speed. Full fibre (FTTP) broadband is now far more widespread; Ofcom reported full fibre available to 79% of residential premises in England in July 2025.
A leased line uses fibre optic cables, and UK leased lines are commonly available at speeds up to 10Gbps, with some metro networks offering more. Fibre signals travel long distances with far less loss than copper, and the contracted speed does not depend on distance from the exchange. In practice, a 1GB file takes about five and a half minutes to download at a perfect 24Mbps ADSL2+ speed, about eight seconds on a 1Gbps leased line and under a second on a 10Gbps line.
Reliability
Copper wires used in ADSL technology are susceptible to electric interference, which means lower reliability. It is a non-issue with fibre optic technology used in leased lines.
What’s more, ageing copper wires are more prone to faults that cause slowdowns and downtime. Fibre leased lines can still fail (a cable can be cut), but UK leased line providers usually include an SLA that commits to fixing certain faults within a set number of hours, which most broadband services do not offer.
Security
A leased line provides better security on the access circuit, because the connection between your premises and the provider is dedicated to your business rather than shared with other subscribers. A private point-to-point leased line between two of your own sites keeps that traffic off the public internet; an internet leased line still carries traffic to the public internet, so it still needs a firewall and good network security.
With all these considerations in mind, many businesses that rely on cloud services, VoIP calls and video conferencing choose a dedicated connection. The UK market now includes several network owners and many resellers, so it pays to compare quotes for the same address.
Who Are the Main Leased Line Providers in the UK?
UK leased line providers fall into two groups: companies that own a fibre network and resellers that buy circuits wholesale from those networks. Because Openreach is regulated by Ofcom to treat all providers equally, many resellers sell the same Openreach circuits as BT, often bundled with their own support.
| Provider | Network | Typical footprint |
|---|---|---|
| BT Business / Openreach | Openreach access network, sold by BT and by resellers | The broadest UK reach, including rural areas |
| Virgin Media Business | Own cable and fibre network (part of Virgin Media O2, formed in June 2021) | Strong in urban and suburban areas; also sold wholesale |
| CityFibre | Wholesale full fibre, sold through partners | Expanding city footprints |
| Colt | Metro fibre networks | Major UK and European cities, high-capacity circuits |
| KCOM | Own fibre network | Dominant in Hull; uses BT circuits elsewhere |
| Vodafone Business, TalkTalk Business | Resell Openreach and CityFibre circuits | National, depending on the underlying network |
Availability depends on the exact address, so the only reliable way to compare leased line providers in the UK is to request quotes for your postcode from several network owners and resellers.
How Much Does a Leased Line Cost in the UK?
A leased line costs considerably more than broadband. As of September 2026, one UK comparison site listed Virgin Media Business leased lines from £69 a month for 100Mbps and £129 a month for 1Gbps, CityFibre 1Gbps circuits from £129 a month through partners, and BT direct at £200 to £600 a month. Actual quotes vary with speed, location, contract length and any installation charges, so treat these figures as indicative only.
How Long Does a Leased Line Take to Install?
A UK leased line typically takes about 60 to 90 working days to install, compared with about 10 to 15 working days for broadband. Some comparison sites quote 30 to 90 working days, and delivery can be quicker where fibre already reaches the building. A 10Gbps circuit can take 90 working days or more.
- Check availability and get quotes for your exact address.
- Choose the bandwidth, contract length and SLA.
- A site survey confirms the route and any civil works.
- Fibre is installed and the network terminating equipment is fitted.
- The provider tests the circuit and hands over the service, usually with a fixed IP address or a small range of them.
Leased Line vs Full Fibre Broadband: Which Does a Business Need?
| Feature | Leased line | Broadband (ADSL, FTTC, full fibre) |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Dedicated, uncontended | Shared (contended) backhaul |
| Upload vs download | Symmetric | Usually asymmetric |
| Top UK speeds | Up to 10Gbps | ADSL2+ up to 24Mbps; FTTC up to 80Mbps; full fibre faster |
| Fault-fix SLA | Standard | Usually none |
| Static IP addresses | Usually included | Often dynamic on residential plans |
| Installation | About 60-90 working days | About 10-15 working days |
| Contract length | Typically 12-60 months | Typically 1-24 months |
A leased line suits businesses with many staff, heavy uploads, hosted phone systems, or services that cannot tolerate slowdowns. Full fibre broadband suits many smaller offices, and larger businesses often keep broadband as a backup connection alongside a leased line.
What Should You Check Before Choosing a Leased Line Provider?
- SLA: the guaranteed fix time and uptime target. One comparison site lists uptime targets of about 99.95% to 99.99% for the main UK networks.
- Bandwidth: whether the speed can be upgraded later without a new installation.
- Contract length: leased line contracts commonly run 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 months.
- Installation charges: ask for all one-off costs in writing before signing.
- Backup: a second connection or broadband failover for critical sites.
- Security: the firewall and protection against DDoS attacks included or offered.
Why the PSTN Switch-Off Matters for Business Connectivity
Openreach will retire the UK’s analogue public switched telephone network (PSTN) on 31 January 2027, and says all traditional phone lines are going digital. Any phone line, alarm or card machine still relying on the old network will stop working, so businesses reviewing their connectivity should move calls to a digital service such as a business VoIP phone system, which runs over an internet connection such as a leased line.
For more on keeping a business network healthy, see this guide to network security basics and this explainer on how to choose a network switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a leased line and broadband?
A leased line is a dedicated, symmetric, uncontended connection with a fault-fix SLA, while broadband is shared with other users, usually faster for downloads than uploads, and rarely comes with an SLA. Leased lines cost more and take longer to install.
How fast is a UK leased line?
UK leased lines are commonly offered from about 10Mbps up to 10Gbps, and the speed is the same for upload and download. Wikipedia notes that 100Mbps to 1Gbps circuits were the most common as of 2018, with 10Gbps attainable in large cities.
How long does it take to install a leased line in the UK?
Installation usually takes about 60 to 90 working days, and can be quicker if fibre already reaches the building. 10Gbps circuits can take 90 working days or longer.
Who is the largest leased line provider in the UK?
BT is the largest supplier of leased lines in the UK, using the Openreach network, which also carries circuits sold by many resellers. Virgin Media Business runs the other large national network.
Will the PSTN switch-off affect a leased line?
A fibre leased line is a data circuit and is not part of the analogue PSTN. The switch-off on 31 January 2027 affects traditional phone lines and the devices that rely on them, which need to move to digital services.
