From copper to full-fibre: where business connectivity is heading
The UK is undergoing its biggest digital transformation in decades.
As legacy copper networks are switched off and fibre becomes the new standard, the role of the leased line is changing fast.
Once seen as a premium service for large enterprises, leased lines are now becoming the backbone of everyday business connectivity — powering everything from cloud collaboration to hybrid work.
Let’s explore where the market is going, how technology is evolving, and what it means for UK businesses in the years ahead.
1. The End of Copper Networks
BT Openreach has already begun phasing out copper services, with a full switch-off scheduled before 2030.
That means older products like ADSL and FTTC are disappearing, replaced by pure fibre-based solutions such as FTTP, SoGEA, and leased lines.
This shift is transforming how businesses connect.
Leased lines, with their dedicated, uncontended fibre, are now the gold standard for reliability, especially as shared copper circuits become obsolete.
2. The Rise of Full-Fibre Infrastructure
Over 90% of UK businesses will have access to full-fibre networks by the end of 2026.
Carriers such as BT, CityFibre, Virgin, and Zayo are investing billions in next-generation backbone routes and metro rings.
This wider availability drives prices down and makes leased lines more accessible than ever — even for SMEs that once relied on broadband.
What was once a specialist service is now the default choice for serious connectivity.
3. Speeds Are Increasing — Rapidly
Average leased line orders have jumped from 100Mb to 1Gb in just three years.
And with 10Gb and even 100Gb options becoming affordable, scalability has never been easier.
Modern fibre infrastructure supports bearer upgrades on demand — allowing businesses to grow bandwidth without new installation work.
It’s a major reason why leased lines remain future-proof: they can scale for decades.
4. Leased Lines and SD-WAN Integration
The next evolution isn’t just faster fibre — it’s smarter networks.
SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) technology combines multiple connections (leased lines, FTTP, 5G) into one intelligent, secure fabric.
Leased lines form the foundation of these hybrid WANs, providing the guaranteed performance SD-WAN needs to optimise routing and security.
Together, they deliver enterprise-grade connectivity for a fraction of traditional MPLS costs.
5. 5G and Leased Line Hybrid Models
5G offers impressive speeds but can’t match the uptime or predictability of a fibre circuit.
That’s why many organisations now combine 5G with leased lines — using mobile connectivity as a failover or temporary backup.
This hybrid model ensures business continuity even during fibre maintenance or site relocations, blending the best of both technologies.
6. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
As data demand grows, energy use is under scrutiny.
Modern leased line networks are now designed around low-power optics, efficient routing, and shared passive infrastructure to reduce carbon impact.
For eco-conscious businesses, this makes leased lines part of a sustainable IT strategy — delivering faster speeds while lowering energy per Gb transmitted.
7. Pricing Trends and Competition
In 2025, UK leased line pricing continues to fall as new carriers expand regional networks.
Multi-network brokers like Connect2 now compare real-time pricing from every major provider — helping customers secure enterprise-grade connections at previously impossible rates.
Expect average 1Gb leased line pricing to drop below £200 per month by 2026 in many metro areas.
8. Why Leased Lines Remain Essential
Even as wireless, 5G, and satellite grow, fibre remains unbeatable for stability, latency, and guaranteed performance.
For businesses that depend on cloud applications, real-time data, or remote teams, leased lines are not a luxury — they’re essential infrastructure.
That reliability will only become more valuable as automation, AI, and edge computing expand.
Final Thoughts
The future of UK connectivity is fast, full-fibre, and firmly in the hands of leased lines.
They provide the resilience, scalability, and uptime every digital business needs — and with more competition than ever, they’re now within reach for all.
Whether you’re preparing for the copper switch-off or planning your next growth phase, investing in a leased line today means your business is ready for tomorrow.
Explore our complete Leased Lines Guide.
FAQ
Will leased lines still be relevant after the copper switch-off?
Yes. Leased lines are entirely fibre-based and will remain the highest-performance option long after copper broadband disappears.
Are leased lines getting cheaper?
Absolutely. As full-fibre coverage expands, competition is driving costs down, especially in urban and business-park locations.
How will leased lines work with SD-WAN and 5G?
They’ll serve as the core link for SD-WAN and hybrid networks — delivering the reliability and low latency those technologies depend on.
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