The UK is embracing 5G connectivity, with coverage expanding rapidly across cities and towns in 2025. Promising faster speeds, lower latency, and flexible deployment, many are asking: could 5G replace leased lines for business internet?
While we no doubt believe that 5G is undoubtedly a game-changer for mobile and consumer use, we also know that you probabbly need more than speed alone.
So join us, as in this blog, we’ll compare leased lines vs 5G in the UK, exploring reliability, scalability, costs, and use cases. We’ll also explain why leased lines still play a vital role in business connectivity, even in the age of 5G.
What Is 5G for Business?
5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, and with it you can enjoy:
- Speeds of up to 10Gbps (theoretical)
- Ultra-low latency (as low as 1 millisecond)
- Higher capacity to handle multiple devices simultaneously
- Wireless deployment for flexibility
For your businesses, 5G can be delivered as:
- Mobile broadband in the form of a SIM-based solution for offices or remote workers.
- Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) which can replace a traditional wired connection with a 5G receiver/router.
What Is a Leased Line?
A leased line is a dedicated fibre connection delivered directly to a business premise, and the top benefits include:
- Symmetrical upload and download speeds (100Mbps–10Gbps).
- 1:1 contention ratio- bandwidth is not shared with other users.
- Enterprise-grade slas with uptime guarantees (99.9%+).
- Ultra-reliable performance, even during peak usage times.
Leased Line vs 5G UK: Main Comparisons
The Case for 5G in Business
5G is fast, flexible, and scalable, making it appealing in certain scenarios:
- Rapid Deployment -which is ideal for temporary offices, pop-ups, or construction sites.
- Backup Connection which acts as a failover solution if your primary line fails.
- Remote and Mobile Teams which enables strong connectivity for employees on the go.
- Smes with Light Usage which is good for small businesses that don’t need enterprise-level connectivity.
However, businesses relying on consistent and uncontended connectivity will face challenges with 5G as a primary solution.
Why Leased Lines Still Matter in the Age of 5G
Despite 5G’s potential, leased lines remain the gold standard for business connectivity, and here’s why we believe that!
1. Guaranteed uptime
Leased lines offer slas with 99.9% uptime and rapid fix times, and 5G providers simply cannot match this level of reliability.
2. Uncontended bandwidth
With leased lines, businesses don’t share capacity with neighbours. 5G, on the other hand, is subject to congestion, especially in busy urban centres.
3. Symmetrical speeds
For video conferencing, large file uploads, and cloud computing, equal upload and download speeds are critical and 5G typically favours download speeds.
4. Security and control
Leased lines provide a private, secure connection ideal for sensitive data and compliance-heavy industries, so 5G operates on shared public infrastructure.
5. Scalability
Businesses can scale leased line bandwidth from 100Mbps to 10Gbps with a contract upgrade, and 5G performance is limited by network rollout and hardware.
UK Providers Offering Leased Lines & 5G Business Solutions
| Provider | Redundancy options | Dual carrier Support? | From |
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Diverse routing, dual links | Yes | £399 + redundancy |
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Dual-site connectivity | Yes | £400 + |
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Separate routes, SD-WAN | Yes | £450 + |
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Active-passive options | Limited | £300 + |
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Multi-site and resilient WAN | Yes | £375 + |
Hybrid Approach: Leased Line + 5G
We’ve seen so many businesses that are starting to adopt a hybrid connectivity model like the following:
- A leased line as the primary connection (guaranteed reliability).
- 5G as a secondary or backup line for resilience.
We think that this ensures maximum uptime, providing flexibility without sacrificing reliability.
Our Final Thoughts
So, are leased lines still relevant in the age of 5G? Absolutely! While 5G offers speed and flexibility, we still think that it lacks the guaranteed performance, uncontended bandwidth, and security that leased lines deliver.
We think that overall, the most strategic option is often a leased line for primary connectivity, with 5G as a backup to ensure resilience and business continuity.
In short: 5G is a powerful complement, but leased lines remain the backbone of business internet connectivity.