The leased line for internet connectivity.

What is an Internet leased line?

Internet leased line, which may be referred to as a dedicated line interconnecting two or more locations for private data and voice communication, is believed to be one of the most beneficial options for businesses. Here in this post, I am going to give all the facts one needs to know about leased lines, which may help to decide for those looking to upgrade their connectivity.

Before I discuss other details about the leased line connection let’s first look into what is leased line.

What is Internet leased line and how it works?

A leased line is a dedicated bidirectional communication channel between two or more locations, given by the service provider according to a commercial contract. It is sometimes also called a private connection.

A dedicated internet leased line can offer internet speeds up to 10 Gbps (Gigabits per second) with the same download and upload speeds and are un-contended i.e. not shared with other users. Unlike standard internet connections whose bandwidth is shared amongst the users of the local area, a dedicated internet leased line can be accessed by you only to your predetermined bandwidth. Since a leased line connection does not allow third-party communications, you are assured of a given level of quality of service.

An internet leased line uses fiber optic technology which is most capable of reaching the best deliverable speeds and bandwidth. It works by transmitting pulses of light over a fiber optic cable and the data packet which is being transmitted travels at the speed of light.

Normally a leased line has a fixed monthly fee which primarily depends upon the distance between the end points and the speed of the circuit.

What are the different types of leased lines?

Types of Internet leased lines can be divided into three categories, Fiber, DSL, and MPLS.

Fiber Leased Lines

Fiber leased lines provide a completely un-contended or dedicated symmetric data connection by sending pulses of light over a fiber optic cable. This means that the connection which is coming directly from the service provider, is not shared with other users and comes with identical download and upload speeds. Almost all leased lines use fiber for the major part of the channel. Of all the types of leased lines, fiber leased lines provide the fastest possible speeds which go up to 10 Gbps.

DSL Leased Lines

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) provides low-bandwidth leased lines. Unlike other leased lines which are non-contended i.e. not shared with others and have symmetrical upload and download speeds, DSL connections are contended and have unequal download and upload speeds. Moreover, as you go further from your provider, DSL speeds drop considerably which means everyone may not get the desired speed via a DSL leased line. However, a symmetric alternative to Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) called SDSL, is available, which offers higher upload speed than standard ADSL

MPLS Leased Lines

Multi-Protocol Label Switching or MPLS leased lines are becoming more and more popular right now as it is a lot faster compared to the traditional Internet Protocol (IP) routing from source to destination. It uses a technology that encapsulates the data, adds one or more labels to it, and transfers the data packets based on those labels. Such labeling of data ensures that the time-sensitive data is given priority for transmission over data that can put up with delays. MPLS essentially acts as a built-in map for data.

Leased line vs Broadband

What is the difference between broadband and leased line is one of the questions often asked by people looking to upgrade their internet connections. The two major differences between an internet leased line connection and a broadband connection are,

1. A leased Line is a solely private channel, providing a dedicated connection between your premises and the service provider’s local exchange. With a leased line, there is no contention with other users which means you will not have speed fluctuations in the leased line.

Whereas broadband is a public shared connection meaning you have to share your bandwidth with users of the local area around you which can slow down your internet speeds considerably, particularly at peak times;

2. A leased line has fixed bandwidth and offers identical upload and download speeds.

This is in contrast to broadband which has variable bandwidth and asymmetrical download and upload speeds;

Internet leased line connection – advantages and disadvantages

Most businesses today rely on the Internet for their day-to-day operation. For efficient functioning, they, therefore, need a reliable and secure internet connection that will not fluctuate and give consistent reliable service. A leased line, which provides a dedicated channel with no contention from others, is believed to be one of the most beneficial options for businesses in most cases. Let’s look into the advantages and disadvantages of leased lines which may be helpful for those, considering upgrading their connectivity.

Advantages of Internet leased line

Here are the major advantages of a dedicated internet line.

1. Get un-contented bandwidth

Unlike standard internet connections whose bandwidth is shared amongst the users of the local area, a fiber leased line features a dedicated or un-contented bandwidth connection i.e. only you have access to your predetermined bandwidth and there is no scope of speed fluctuations particularly at peak times;

2. Provides a symmetric connection

Fiber leased lines provide a symmetric connection which means you get an internet connection that provides equal download and upload speeds. With a symmetrical connection, you can upload and download large amounts of data at the same time without any loss of speed;

3. Provides high internet speeds.

Of all the types of leased lines, fiber leased lines provide the highest speeds which enables businesses to transfer data more quickly and reliably. The internet speed of a more cost-effective fiber leased line starts from as little as 10 Mbps, going up to an extremely high speed of 10 Gbps;

4. High network availability

A fiber leased line is the perfect solution for a stable and resilient internet connection needed for business continuity. You are assured of a given level of quality with a leased line connection as it does not carry any third-party communications. Nearly 100% network availability is normally guaranteed by all reputable leased line providers. In effect, this means that you should rarely, if ever, experience any internet downtime.

5. Highest level of customer support

With a leased line you can expect a high level of customer support from any reliable leased line provider. Unlike many broadband services, fiber leased line connections always come with a service level agreement (SLA) which guarantees quick resolution of major connectivity issues. You are assured of round-the-clock instant customer service, in addition to, monitoring and resolving issues related to your network.

Disadvantages of Internet leased line

The two main disadvantages of a fiber leased line are as follows:

1. High cost of connectivity

Because of its several advantages as mentioned above a fiber leased line connection, with its cost of installation combined with monthly rental fees, is considerably more expensive than other connection alternatives, such as ADSL or traditional broadband connection.

2. Longer installation time

Connecting your premises to the leased line provider’s network can be a lengthy process. Installation of a fiber leased line can take up to 12 weeks as it involves installation of a completely new line. Whereas ADSL or traditional broadband connection typically takes up to 3 weeks only for installation as it can utilize a pre-existing network available in the area.

Nevertheless, if there is already an existing Internet leased line in your area, the installation would typically take between 6-8 weeks.

You may also like to read this post: My internet keeps disconnecting every few minutes

Conclusion

After going through the details given in the post about leased line connection it would be evident that investing in a fiber leased line is a beneficial option for businesses in most cases. A dedicated internet leased line is probably a perfect solution for your business if a stable and resilient internet connection backed by a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is critical for its productive and profitable business continuity.

However, if a stable and secure internet connection is not that critical for your business, then a standard DSL broadband connection may be the best alternative to a dedicated line at a much lower cost.