Business Broadband vs Leased Line: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Choosing between business broadband and a leased line is one of the most important connectivity decisions for companies across the UK and Ireland today. As digital transformation accelerates and remote working becomes standard, the reliability and performance of your internet connection can make or break your business.

In this guide, we’ll compare broadband vs leased line connectivity, helping you understand the differences, costs, and business benefits, so you can make the right choice for your organisation.

What’s the Difference Between Business Broadband and Leased Line?

Business Broadband

Business broadband provides internet access via shared infrastructure, typically using FTTC, FTTP, SoGEA, or ADSL. Multiple users share capacity, making it cost-effective but potentially variable during peak times.

Leased Line

A leased line delivers a dedicated, uncontended connection from your premises to your provider’s core network — giving you guaranteed speeds, symmetrical performance, and higher reliability.

Think of it as having your own private motorway instead of sharing public roads.

👉 Explore Yellowcom’s Business Broadband Services

👉 Explore Yellowcom’s Leased Line & MPLS Services

Speed and Performance

Broadband

• Download speeds: typically 30–1000 Mbps
• Upload speeds: often slower than download
• Performance varies with local network congestion
• Advertised “up to” speeds not always guaranteed

Leased Line

• Symmetrical speeds (equal download and upload)
• Guaranteed bandwidth via SLA
• Consistent performance — unaffected by peak usage
• Highly scalable: 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps

Real Business Example:
A Belfast video production agency cut file upload times from 4 hours to 45 minutes after upgrading from 80 Mbps broadband to a 100 Mbps leased line – thanks to symmetrical speeds and guaranteed performance.

Cost Comparison: Broadband vs Leased Line

Business Broadband

• From £30–£150/month
• Installation in 2–4 weeks
• Low upfront costs
• Flexible contract terms

Leased Line

• From £300–£2000+/month
• Installation takes 8–16 weeks
• Higher setup costs
• Typically 3–5 year contracts

Total Cost of Ownership:
While broadband is cheaper upfront, consider productivity losses, downtime risks, and future scalability needs when evaluating long-term value.

---

Reliability and Uptime Guarantees

Business Broadband

• Uptime: 99.5–99.7%
• Best-effort fault resolution
• Shared infrastructure = higher risk of outages

Leased Line

• Uptime: 99.9–99.99%
• Priority fault resolution (4–6 hours)
• Dedicated connection minimises failure points

Example:
A Newry accounting firm reported 99.95% uptime with its leased line, compared to 98.2% on its previous broadband – eliminating critical outages during month-end processing.

When to Choose Business Broadband

Business broadband is ideal for:

• Professional services (5–25 staff) using cloud apps and email
• Small retail outlets with EPOS systems and guest WiFi
• Charities with budget constraints needing cost-effective solutions
• Education settings where FTTP can support blended learning

See Yellowcom Business Broadband Options

When to Choose a Leased Line

Leased lines are a must-have for:

• Data-heavy businesses: video production, architecture, healthcare imaging
• Mission-critical operations: financial services, call centres, ecommerce
• Multi-site organisations requiring seamless WAN connectivity
• Large user environments: schools, hotels, coworking spaces

See Yellowcom Leased Line & MPLS Options

Installation and Lead Times

Business Broadband

• 2–4 week install
• Minimal site surveys
• Standard equipment supplied

Leased Line

• 8–16 weeks to provision
• Extensive site survey and permissions required
• Custom hardware and testing included

Planning tip:
If your business needs a leased line, start procurement at least 4–6 months in advance.

Decision Guide: Broadband vs Leased Line

Business Factor	Choose Broadband	Choose Leased Line
Budget	Cost-conscious operations	Performance justifies investment
Staff Size	Under 25 users	25+ users or high usage
Uptime Importance	99.5% acceptable	99.9%+ required
Upload Needs	Minimal	Large or frequent uploads
Growth/Expansion Plans	Stable	Rapid scaling expected

Common Myths Debunked

• Myth: “Leased lines are only for large corporates.”
  Fact: Many SMEs and growing businesses benefit from leased lines.
• Myth: “Business broadband is too unreliable.”
  Fact: Modern FTTP broadband offers excellent reliability for most use cases.
• Myth: “Leased lines can’t be justified financially.”
  Fact: Increased productivity, uptime and scalability often deliver strong ROI.

Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds

Many businesses opt for hybrid connectivity, such as:

• Leased line as primary with broadband backup
• Broadband primary with 4G/5G backup
• Site-specific mix of leased line, broadband and SD-WAN

Yellowcom offers flexible bundled solutions across broadband, leased line, phone systems, and mobile – tailored to your business.

👉 Explore Yellowcom Business Bundles

Conclusion: How Yellowcom Can Help

Choosing between broadband and leased line is a strategic decision. Our team at Yellowcom can help you evaluate:

• Your current usage and future requirements
• Productivity and business impact
• Total cost of ownership
• Options for resilience and backup

Why Choose Yellowcom?

• Dedicated local support teams across the UK and Ireland
• Tailored solutions — not one-size-fits-all
• Single point of contact and dedicated account manager
• Trusted by 3000+ businesses across hospitality, education, healthcare, retail, and more

Next Steps

Don’t let connectivity hold back your business.

👉 Request a Free Connectivity Consultation
👉 Or call us:
UK: 03330 156 651
Ireland: 01263 5299

Local offices: Belfast | Glasgow | Dublin