Leased Line Vs Broadband
Fibre optic connections are now increasingly popular in UK. With that, you might already be considering using Fibre to take advantage of its superfast speeds including its other benefits. For businesses that are looking for Fibre options, there are two that can be considered, which are Fibre leased line and Fibre broadband.
The Difference of the Two Fibre Options
Fibre broadband can be arranged and installed either as Fibre-to-the-Premises or Fibre-to-the-Cabinet. However, for business purposes, it is better to consider Fibre-to-the-Premises since it links premises to the local exchange directly. As for a leased line, it provides a dedicated connection directly to the local exchange. It means that connections are not shared with other users compared to broadband. Thus, even at peak times, connection will not slow down and you are the only one to use it. Also, as for the download and upload speeds, broadband is asymmetrical while leased line is a symmetrical. It means that the speed in both download and upload aspects are the same for symmetrical (leased lines) while with asymmetrical (broadband) the upload aspect is slower than downloads. It is a vital aspect to consider especially for business that hosts and uploads large amount of data all the time.
Speed Comparison
Speed is a characteristic that leaves leased line a great choice compared to broadband. Fibre Broadband may the fastest solution for broadband out there since it can offer a maximum speed that reaches 100Mb. But, a leased line offers up to 1Gb and can even reach up to 10Gb on others.
The thing is, both speeds can be affected by distance it is away from the exchange. It means if the exchange is far from you, connection will also be slower. However, with leased line, enjoying 10 GB speed can be enjoyed if you are 35 km away from the exchange. The speed will get slower and will drop the further you are. The same case also happens with broadband. Those who are just within 500m away from an exchange will enjoy the speed of 100Mb. However, the more remote you get, the slower the speed will also be.
Cost
Yes, Fibre leased lines may be faster than broadband. But, that comes with a price. Broadband is much cheaper than leased lines. Leased lines are being rented and it generally involves paying the monthly fees equivalent to hundreds of pounds. As for broadband, its cost also involves paying monthly fees but it only takes tens of pounds making it a cheaper alternative.
You can also save some of your money if you really prefer leased lines, which is if you have an ISDN30 connection. This Fibre option is utilizing SIP trunks, virtual telephones lines being delivered over the leased line connection. Through that, you are able to rid the ISDN30 channels then be able to deliver calls through SIP trunk. Due to that, you are now able to save money from telephone line rentals you are supposed to incur.
In the end, both the options are a great choice, but this may depend on your needs. For business organizations that needs a reliable and cost-effective solution, choosing leased lines can be a good option. As for broadband, it’s still a superfast internet connection, and is beneficial for businesses that do not necessarily need superfast upload and download capabilities. As for which is better between the two, it will always depend on your internet connection needs.