Leased Line Vs Broadband: Which One Is Right For You?

With our increasing dependency on the internet, there’s no doubt that every household and even workplace needs a fast internet connection. Currently, there is an ongoing battle between leased lines and broadband connections.

While there is no right or wrong answer, context can guide you in the path of the optimum sort of connection to the internet for your unique needs.

As a result, we've provided a comprehensive comparison between leased lines vs broadband connections, which will give you a better idea of what each of these products provides and which one is ideal for you.

A leased-line employs the exact same technology as fibre-optic broadband. A fibre optic leased line operates by transmitting light pulses along a fibre optic cable.

The Technological & Installation Difference

The most prominent difference between a broadband connection and a leased line is the technology each of them uses to provide internet to the end-user.

Many broadband connections (there are several sub-types of 'broadband,' so we're talking broadly here) will be supplied to a cabinet somewhere along your street or adjacent by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). These cabinets are generally painted in drab greens or greys and are difficult to see until you look closely. A cable travels from there to your home or company, where your broadband connection is established.

A leased line, on the other hand, eliminates the intermediary. The leased line installation happens directly to you, rather than through a street cabinet. What is the significance of this? Contention!

The amount of people seeking a connection is referred to as contention. The higher the conflict and the poorer the connection, the further competition there is for that connection.

There is no contention on a leased line because it is a dedicated connection. As your firm is directly linked to the local network, you don't have to share access with nearby people or companies.

On the other hand, broadband is not a dedicated connection; hence you must split your connection with everyone. Technically, this slows down the connection, which is why your home internet connection is likely to slow down during busy hours, such as in the evenings or during the weekends.

The Price Difference

As they’re a dedicated connection, leased lines often cost more than a broadband internet connection. Nevertheless, while it's normal to compare the costs of two products, it's more important to take into consideration the differences in valuation among both broadband and leased line internet. While switching from a broadband connection to a leased line connection may increase your expenditures, you are more likely to get a faster internet speed, so consider that when comparing prices.

Furthermore, while choosing between broadband or leased line connection, it's important to think about the many contracts you'll encounter. A leased line internet connection will, in most cases, bind you to a lengthier term than a broadband connection. Typically, you'll be required to sign a 36-month contract, although this may not always be the case.

The contract lengths are usually shorter when you get broadband internet, ranging from 12 to 24 months. These contract lengths each have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. A longer-term contract provides more stability, and any price rises will not affect you for a longer length of time. In comparison, if the broadband cost falls or you need to terminate the contract for whatever reason, you will be locked into a contract that may be expensive to exit.

In terms of cost, it's also a good idea to examine any hidden charges that may occur when utilizing your connection. A leased line connection, for instance, is generally unmetered and uncontended. In other terms, below a 'fair usage policy,' you could use it as often as you like without facing any further expenses.

On the other hand, broadband internet subscriptions may have a variety of restrictions in place that limit the use and/or cost you more for exceeding specified limitations. If you sign a new broadband connection, always double-check all of the fees you may be charged and if they are likely to be useful to your organization.

Reset your router every month or so to give it a rest and to renew your internet connection. If you are experiencing significant speed difficulties, you should consider restarting your router on a daily basis.

The Difference In Data Speed

When a regular broadband connection is compared to a leased line, the latter is most likely to have faster connection speeds. Moreover, leased lines provide you with balanced connection speeds. This indicates that your download and upload speeds are all the same.

On the other hand, the download speed of a broadband connection is far faster than the upload speed. This isn't an issue in your home setting because you seldom upload huge files or significant amounts of data. Nevertheless, in a corporate setting, the enhanced upload speed of a leased line connection is a significant advantage.

In a nutshell, a leased line makes it easier to transfer data to the internet. This faster upload speed will greatly improve the user experience, resulting in happy employees. This is especially helpful if you utilize cloud technology, which is becoming more prevalent in organizations, most prominently Microsoft or Google cloud services.

It is indeed worth mentioning that big off-site backups could take several hours over a regular broadband internet connection. But, they'll always be far faster over a leased line internet connection.

Off-site backups to cloud environments, like the Plymouth Science Park Data Centre, is commonly considered an effective method and should not be overlooked in your planning since an off-site backup alternative can be critical in the disaster recovery process. Likewise, modern telephone technology, like VoIP, which has advantages over a more conventional phone system, might suffer or be impossible to use over a broadband internet connection.

Your internet connection is a vital building element in the foundations of your IT infrastructure; therefore, its influence on productivity for technicalities and any plans for the future or infrastructure investments that may need an internet connection to operate should constantly be addressed.

Furthermore, leased line internet delivers set network speeds, so you receive precisely what you paid for, whilst broadband providers are simply obligated to give 'best efforts.'

The Difference In Consistency

From a business standpoint, among the most significant and essential distinctions among a leased line internet connection and a broadband internet connection is that leased lines have Service Level Agreements as default, but broadband connections don't.

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a base level that you may anticipate from your operator and what measures the company will take if the internet connection fails or falls short of those requirements.

In theory, this implies that your operator will determine how long it will take to complete repairs before you are entitled to a predetermined return or reimbursement. It will also provide the bare minimum of uptime that you may anticipate from your leased line connection.

Conversely, with broadband internet, there are no assurances as to how long it will take to repair, and you are not necessarily entitled to a refund or reimbursement in the case of an outage. Furthermore, most leased lines will be continually monitored for difficulties so that if any issues happen, the Internet Service Provider can answer in a more timely manner, as compared to a broadband connection, that will need you to notify the provider of any difficulties.

This quality of service is among the primary reasons why many organizations choose leased line internet versus broadband internet. You will be much more informed if you know how it works ahead of time. Furthermore, you know exactly how long you will have to wait for any remedy and can plan appropriately.

Also, because compensation is frequently included in leased line contracts, you know you are entitled to reimbursement in the case of downtime, saving you money. A defective or unstable internet connection, on the other hand, is likely to spiral in expenses while also generating further productivity difficulties for your organization.

Install an ad-blocking plugin to disable those data-heavy auto-play movies, and you'll give your internet connection some breathing room.

Choosing The Right One For You

Since there are no hard and fast rules in business, we would nearly always suggest a leased line internet connection above a broadband connection. While this is more expensive and binds you to a longer-term, we feel that the advantages greatly exceed the expenses. We’ve highlighted some benefits in a direct comparison below:

Conclusion

In conclusion, a dedicated leased line with SLAs ensures you'll have a reliable internet connection on which you and your organization can rely, and with the internet being necessary to the performance of most companies, we believe this is essential for any successful organization.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for an internet connection for your home, a broadband connection should be your preferred option. This is because it is more cost-effective and most households don’t need the advanced features offered by leased lines.

If you’re looking for more information on broadband providers or leased line costs, keep reading Selectra!