What Is A Dedicated Line?

A dedicated line is an internet connection that’s not shared with other users. They are most commonly used by businesses who rely on the internet to function, as dedicated lines are considerably faster and more reliable than shared internet connections such as broadband.

Dedicated lines are also known as “leased lines”. And there are two common types of leased line:

• Fibre leased lines
• Wireless leased lines (also known as microwave internet)

What Is A Dedicated Line Used For?

Dedicated lines are most commonly used to connect businesses to the internet, as standard broadband is too slow and unreliable for most professional companies.

However, dedicated lines are also used to connect various other IP devices, including: telecommunication masts, CCTV cameras, sensors, corporate WAN connections and more.

How Much Does A Dedicated Line Cost?

The cost of a dedicated line varies based on the type of connection you choose and your specific requirements.

To give a helpful answer, we need to look at both the installation cost and the ongoing monthly cost.

For a fibre leased line, you can pay anywhere from £5,000 – £100,000 for installation alone, depending on your location. 

For a wireless leased line, you can expect to pay between just £1,000 – £2,000 for installation. This is again dependent on your location.

In terms of ongoing cost for the rental of your dedicated line, fibre leased lines typically range between £350 – £600 per month. Whereas wireless leased lines cost between £350 to £1,000 per month, depending on your location and requirements.

What Are The Benefits Of A Dedicated Line?

Dedicated lines can cost 10 times the amount you would pay for regular broadband that’s designed for family use, so you’re likely wanting to understand exactly what benefits it can bring to your business.

Here are some of the main ones:

Lightning Fast Internet Speeds

Both wireless and fibre leased lines can deliver internet speeds of up to 10Gbps, which is much faster than any broadband connection.

And it’s not just download speeds, the upload speeds on a dedicated line can also go up to 10Gbps too.

Ultimately what this means for your business is that anything you use the internet for will get done quicker – freeing up your staff’s time for other activities.

It Works Reliably 24/7

Because dedicated lines are solely used by your business, it is never affected by “peak times” or busy hours where the internet runs slow to cope with the sheer demand other users are putting on it.

Instead, your connection stays fast at all times.

There’s also no download or upload limits, meaning your business can use the internet freely, without having to worry about hitting data limits and halting production.

It’s Harder To Hack Into

Having a dedicated connection to the internet makes your business less prone to hack attempts, as there are far less vulnerabilities in the connection.

All of the data that gets transferred from your business to the internet travels through a private connection, instead of a shared connection with countless people accessing it. 

Dedicated Line Vs Broadband

To summarise the above points, comparing a dedicated line to a broadband connection is like comparing a beaten up old bicycle to a brand new ferrari.

Dedicated lines are: faster, more reliable, harder to hack into and better suited for business use.

Types Of Dedicated Line

As previously mentioned, there are two types of dedicated line. One is delivered through wireless microwave technology and the other is delivered through physical fibre cables.

Apart from the method of delivery, both wired and wireless dedicated lines provide an almost identical internet connection. In fact, there are far more similarities between the two than there are differences.

Deciding on the best option to use for your business will depend on a variety of factors, which we will now explore.

Fibre Leased Line

Fibre leased lines deliver a dedicated internet connection to your business via physical fibre cables. This makes them incredibly expensive to install (as much as £100,000).

The installation of a fibre dedicated line can also take a considerable amount of time to complete, as it usually requires digging up the roads to install the cables (hence the high cost). This is especially true for those located in more rural areas.

However, if your premises is located in a major UK city, it’s possible that the infrastructure could already be in place. If that’s the case, installation could be as low as just £5,000.

Microwave Internet

Microwave internet delivers a dedicated internet connection to your business via a wireless P2P connection. This makes them faster and cheaper to install as the connection is wireless, and doesn’t require a cable installation.

Instead of the £5,000 to £100,000 you’d pay to install a fibre leased line, microwave internet typically costs between £1,000 to £2,000 to install.

And instead of waiting months (or even years) for fibre installation, microwave internet can be installed in as little as just 14-days.

When compared to a fibre leased line, it’s clear to see why microwave internet has gained such popularity over the past 5 years. But it’s not without its faults…

Microwave Internet Is Not Available In All Locations 

Although coverage for microwave internet has improved in recent years, there are still some pockets of the UK that cannot get a microwave internet connection.

To find out if your location is covered, click on the button below and enter your postcode.