What is a Wireless Leased Line?

Wireless Leased Lines use a point to point microwave link to deliver an ultrafast and uncontended connection to the internet, or provide connectivity between two sites. Thousands of businesses throughout the UK choose Wireless Leased Lines over Fibre Leased Lines as they’re cheaper to install (No ECC’s), faster to get set up (as little as 14 days) and provide the exact same level of connectivity.

Businesses who use a Wireless Leased Line benefit from having a dedicated and uncontended connection to the internet. This means you have guaranteed access to your own connection and it’s never effected by the usage of other people who are not on your network (like a common broadband connection). They give you uptimes exceeding 99.99%, which means your staff will never be left waiting to do their job. Plus you also get ultrafast speeds of up to 10Gbps, meaning there’s no waiting around for files to download/upload.

Because Wireless Leased Lines use a microwave radio link, many people assume the weather may effect the connection (as it can with many other radio signals), however, this is not the case when a Wireless Leased Line is installed properly. Most business owners will tell you that their Wireless Leased Line works perfect through any weather conditions, as they’re covered by a backup connection that uses radio frequencies which are not impacted by the weather.

Yes. All Wireless Leased Line connections have to conform to EU and UK standards, and all hardware is “CE” marked, meaning it complies with all health, safety, and environmental protection standards.

The main advantage many business owners experience when choosing a wireless leased line over a fibre leased line is the cheaper installation costs. Because if you do not have the infrastructure already in place, you could be quoted up to £100,000 on excess construction charges (known as ECC’s, or as we like to call them “excessive construction charges”). But it’s not just the cost that puts businesses off of Fibre Leased Lines, it’s also the installation time. It’s not unusual for Fibre to take months to get set up, as the infrastructure requires roads to be dug up and cables to be installed. In contrast, Wireless Leased Lines can be set up in as little as 14 days – which is quite a reduction in time and a big bonus in the eyes of any business owner.

Yes, as Wireless Leased Lines do not require underground infrastructure and are instead connected via a PTP connection – it is a lot quicker and cheaper to get a connection set up in a rural location than it is to get a Fibre Leased Line. There are no ECC’s, no long lead times, no lengthy contracts and if you use APC Solutions – you are able to get up to 10Gbps internet speeds (no matter where you need it!)

Not at all. In fact, Wireless Leased Lines will typically give you lower latency than fibre, making it the perfect solution for any VoIP and CCTV requirements you may have. This is because Wireless Leased Lines link directly into the national fibre network, whereas a Fibre Leased Line needs to pass through an exchange first.

No. A Satellite connection is a completely different solution (that is considerably slower, has a much higher latency and is effected by the weather) and is in no way comparable to the service a Wireless Leased Line provides. Other names for a Wireless Leased Line include: Microwave Radio Link, IVM and Microwave Internet.

Yes, Wireless Leased Lines are the ideal backup solution for a Fibre Leased Line, as they provide the same level of connectivity and give a hitless failover if anything was to go wrong with your Fibre. A second Fibre Leased Line connection does not guarantee a business has a truly resilient connection, as there will be places the two lines meet or cross, meaning if anything was to happen to the land in that area (such as flooding or fires) – both of your Fibre Leased Line connections would go down. You cannot achieve a truly resilient connection without using a completely separate solution. And the only solution that provides you with an equal connection to a Fibre Leased Line is a Wireless Leased Line.