» Leased Lines Guide

What is a leased line?

A leased line is a telecommunications connection between two different locations. It can be used to transfer several types of data and may be used for telephone or internet services, and are particularly beneficial to companies with heavy data traffic in one or both directions.

These leased lines are for the sole access of the leaseholder. They are installed on an individual basis and offer a private connection for the transfer of information. As a result, leased lines are used to ensure an efficient and reliable data connection.

How can I use a leased line?

A leased line is used by internet-heavy users and companies to maintain a consistent data speed. The service can also create a reliable and secure connection to two different buildings. Leased lines are often used to transfer information between separate branches of the same company, or between a company and the internet for easy uploading.

Why choose a leased line?

Leased lines offer a fast and effective way to transfer information between two fixed points. A leased line is a private connection between the individual sources, and so offers a faster, more reliable connection than public carriers. Combined with a VPN (virtual private network), your company's information transfer could be effortless and completely secure.

What are the other benefits?

A dedicated leased line ensures a secure and dependable internet connection. Furthermore, leased lines offer a dedicated bandwidth, decreasing downloading and uploading times, and making internet use more efficient. A number of providers also guarantee a set percentage of speed as defined in the SLA, and our dedicated support team will be at your beck and call at any time.

How much does it cost?

Leased lines are charged on a monthly or annual rental fee. Prices can vary depending on the bandwidth capacity of the line and the distance to the local carrier point of presence (PoP). There is also a one-off fee for the line installation. A number of operators apply fixed charges to the distance covered by the leased line.

Debunking myths about leased lines

There are a number of common misconceptions about leased lines, and in particular, leased line costs. Although a leased line is traditionally expensive, our service is often 50% lower than average in rental charges. Our installation fee is also surprisingly low, making us overall much cheaper than competitors. Our price varies according to which two points you wish to connect, what bandwidth you request, and whether you need router management. However, in some cases our leased lines can be priced as low as £299 per month.

How long does it take to install a leased line?

A leased line can be fully installed and operational in 15 - 90 working days, with low installation costs. Of course, we're on call 24 hours a day should you experience any teething problems.

Why get a leased line from Managed Communications?

As well as our low prices, we offer excellent service. From our helpful technical support team to our router management and reliable connection, it's easy to see why we have received so many excellent client testimonials. Over the many years that Managed Communications has been in operation, customers such as the NHS, The Highways Agency and the Capita Group have been pleased with our quick installation and service management. In addition, our leased lines come with a 100% SLA, guaranteeing your business and data will be in safe hands. Of course, all your latency-dependent applications will still work with our leased line.

What are the alternatives?

If you'd rather not go through the inconvenience of line installation, or want to find an even cheaper alternative, Managed Communications also offers bonded ADSL options. ADSL bonding is the linking of multiple connections to create one broad but virtual connection. This leads to a higher upload and download speed of between 2 and 20Mbps. Our 99.9% SLA is also an undeniable benefit, as is the fact that all the necessary software is included in the price. What's more, it's so easy to get started you can do it yourself, and should you move offices, your bonded ADSL can come with you.

Ethernet in the First Mile

One of the latest innovations in leased line alternative solutions is Ethernet in the First Mile. Your business broadband could be enhanced by this service, with minimal intrusion in your workplace and costs lower than most leased lines.

EFM works by bonding, in the same way as ADSL or SDSL. However, whereas these options attempt to increase data throughput between the LAN and the exclusive Managed Comms network, with EFM the bonding occurs in the copper pairs that link your business to the local telephone exchange. Up to five pairs can be combined, to create a broad uncontended data flow that enables speeds of up to 10Mbps within 3km of an exchange.

What makes Managed Comms so cheap?

Our leased lines are often a fraction of the price of those offered by other providers, while our leased line alternatives are incredibly low cost. One reason for this is the low installation cost for some products, especially those that are delivered to you in the form of a pre-configured, ready-to-use router. Another explanation is that we do not rely on BT for use of telephone exchanges. What's more, we get your business broadband connection up and running as quickly as possible, and always help when you have a problem or query – time is money, and we don't want you to waste either.