Leased Line Speeds Explained: Tried and Tested Speeds!

Leased line speeds play a crucial role in your business’s productivity, and make a notable difference if they aren’t working properly.

But with leased line options ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, how do you determine the right speed for your business?

Our guide breaks down leased line speeds, use cases, and how to choose the best bandwidth for your needs.

What Is a Leased Line?

A leased line is a dedicated internet connection that provides uncontended bandwidth, meaning your business gets exclusive access to the connection without sharing it with others.

Unlike standard broadband, leased lines offer:
✅ Symmetrical speeds – Equal upload and download speeds.

✅ 99.99% uptime – Backed by a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

✅ No congestion issues – Consistent performance 24/7.

✅ Scalable bandwidth – Easily upgrade as your business grows.

Leased Line Speeds & Their Best Use Cases

Speed	Best For	Example Use Cases
10Mbps – 50Mbps	Small businesses, basic online tasks	Emails, web browsing, VoIP calls
100Mbps	SMEs with moderate cloud usage	Video conferencing, CRM software
500Mbps – 1Gbps	Large businesses, high data demand	Cloud hosting, multiple remote workers
2Gbps – 10Gbps	Enterprises, data-intensive industries	Big data, AI applications, large-scale video streaming

Our tip? we think that the right speed depends on how many users/devices are connected and what type of tasks your team performs!

How to Choose the Right Leased Line Speed

To determine what you need, ask yourself the following questions:

1. How many users and devices do you have?

A 10-50Mbps leased line is suitable for 1-10 users handling emails, VoIP, and light browsing.
A 100Mbps connection supports 10-50 users running cloud applications and video conferencing.
500Mbps+ is ideal for 100+ users with heavy data consumption and cloud storage.

2. What online activities do you mainly partake in?

VoIP calls/emails – 10-20Mbps is enough for basic communication.
Cloud computing/SaaS – 100Mbps+ ensures smooth performance.
Large file transfers & backups – 500Mbps-1Gbps prevents slowdowns.
Big data, AI or streaming – 2-10Gbps required for enterprise-scale operations.

3. What are your future growth plans?

If you’re planning to expand or adopt new technologies should consider higher speeds for long-term scalability.

Startups can begin with 100Mbps and upgrade as the team grows.
Large corporations should future-proof with 1Gbps+ connections.

Comparing Leased Line Speeds to Business Broadband

Feature	Leased Line	Business Broadband
Speed	Up to 10Gbps	Varies (up to 1Gbps, but shared)
Bandwidth	Dedicated (uncontended)	Shared with other users
Upload & download	Symmetrical	Asymmetrical
Reliability	99.99% uptime guarantee	May suffer from congestion
Best For	Businesses with critical internet needs	General business browsing & emails

How Much Does a Leased Line Cost?

Speed	Estimated Monthly Cost
10Mbps	£150 – £250
100Mbps	£250 – £450
1Gbps	£450 – £1,200+
10Gbps	£1,500 – £5,000+

Our tip? Providers often offer discounts on longer contracts (e.g., 3-5 years), reducing overall costs.

Is a Higher-Speed Leased Line Worth It?

We think that a higher-speed leased line is ideal if your business:
✔️ Uses VoIP, video conferencing, and cloud storage daily.

✔️ Needs uninterrupted connectivity for remote teams.

✔️ Handles large file transfers, backups, and security monitoring.

✔️ Plans for future growth and wants a scalable internet solution.

so if your business falls into these categories, investing in a faster leased line will enhance productivity and long-term cost savings.

Our final thoughts…

As we mentioned above, we think that choosing the right leased line speed depends on your team size, usage needs, and future growth plans, and whether you need 100Mbps for a small team or 1Gbps+ for high data consumption, a leased line provides unmatched reliability, security, and performance.