Reliable connectivity is the backbone of successful UK businesses, especially as cloud platforms, remote collaboration, and real-time communication tools dominate the digital landscape. But not all leased lines are created equal.
If you’re considering upgrading your business connectivity, one of the key choices you’ll face is:
Point-to-Point Leased Line vs Internet Leased Line
But what’s the difference? And which one actually suits your business needs?
Let’s break it down 👇
💡 What Is a Leased Line?
A leased line is a private, dedicated fibre optic connection between two points. Unlike standard broadband, it offers synchronous upload/download speeds, no contention, and a guaranteed Service Level Agreement (SLA).
But leased lines come in two main varieties:
- Point-to-Point (P2P) Leased Line – Directly links two locations, like your HQ and a branch office.
- Internet Leased Line – Connects your business directly to the internet via a dedicated fibre circuit.
🆚 Point-to-Point vs Internet Leased Line: Top Differences
Feature | Point-to-Point Leased Line | Internet Leased Line |
Purpose | Connects two private sites (e.g. HQ ↔ warehouse) | Provides dedicated access to the public internet |
Traffic Type | Internal (LAN/WAN) only | Internet-facing traffic |
Security | Highly secure, private network | Requires firewall/security layers for internet use |
Use Cases | File sharing, VoIP between sites, private applications | Cloud access, email, websites, online services |
Contended? | No | No – still uncontended bandwidth |
IP Address | Typically private IP ranges | Usually includes static public IPs |
Connection Target | Site-to-site | Site-to-internet |
📍 When Should You Choose a Point-to-Point Leased Line?
A P2P leased line is ideal if:
- You have multiple office or warehouse locations and need them to share a central database or ERP system securely.
- Your business uses in-house applications, VoIP, or real-time file collaboration across sites.
- You want a fully private network infrastructure without sending sensitive traffic over the internet.
This type of leased line functions like a private bridge between your locations, bypassing the internet altogether for enhanced control and security.
🌐 When Is an Internet Leased Line the Right Choice?
We think that an internet leased line is a better fit if:
- You need reliable and fast internet access for cloud services like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or VoIP.
- You want a guaranteed uncontended line for uploading large files, video conferencing, or running an ecommerce website.
- You only have one main site or don’t need to connect multiple physical locations.
Internet leased lines are perfect for businesses that rely heavily on cloud platforms and can’t afford the lag or unreliability of shared broadband.
💰 What About Cost?
- Point-to-Point leased lines are often priced per kilometre, depending on the distance between your sites.
- Internet leased lines are usually priced by speed tier (e.g., 100Mbps / 1Gbps) and contract length.
While P2P lines can be costlier due to custom routing, they offer unmatched performance and security for internal traffic.
🏢 UK Providers Offering Point-to-Point and Internet Leased Lines
| Provider | Redundancy options | Dual carrier Support? | From |
| Diverse routing, dual links | Yes | £399 + redundancy |
| Dual-site connectivity | Yes | £400 + |
| Separate routes, SD-WAN | Yes | £450 + |
| Active-passive options | Limited | £300 + |
| Multi-site and resilient WAN | Yes | £375 + |
🔐 Security Considerations
A point-to-point line keeps internal data completely off the public internet — ideal for regulated industries like:
- Legal
- Healthcare
- Finance
- Government
With internet leased lines, encryption, firewalls, and VPNs are essential to secure your internet-facing traffic.
📦 Can You Combine Both?
Absolutely! and many larger UK businesses do.
- Use a P2P leased line to link multiple sites.
- Use an internet leased line to connect to the cloud or external networks.
- Combine them using a WAN or MPLS setup for flexibility, security, and performance.
Our Final Thoughts
If your business is choosing between a point-to-point leased line and an internet leased line:
- Go P2P if you need to connect multiple sites securely.
- Choose internet leased lines if your priority is high-speed cloud access and online services.
- Use both if your business spans multiple locations and relies heavily on online tools.
We think tat the right leased line setup can dramatically impact your operational efficiency, data security, and digital transformation goals.
Whether you’re expanding across sites or scaling your cloud systems, understanding the difference between point-to-point and internet leased lines helps you make smarter infrastructure decisions.