We’re frequently asked what the best type of internet connection for a business might be, and specifically what the differences are between broadband and a leased line.

Leased lines and broadband can both provide your business with a high-speed internet connection, but the size of your network and the applications you use will ultimately help you choose between a leased line or broadband.

 So, what is the difference between a leased lines and broadband?

• A leased line is a dedicated connection between your premises and the local exchange. It is fixed bandwidth and offers identical upload and download speeds and is not subject to contention with other users.
• Broadband is not a dedicated connection between your premises and the local exchange. It is variable bandwidth, asymmetric, meaning faster for downloads than for uploads, and subject to contention with other users.

But how do you know which solution is right for your business? Read on to as we explain the benefits of each and help you decide.

Reliability

Whilst every business requires reliability when it comes to the operations but there are questions you should ask to help guide how robust a solution you need:

• How many users are in my network?
• What applications are they using?
• How crucial is the internet to my daily routine?

How many users are in my network?

If you are a smaller company and have less than 10 people using the internet, then broadband may be ideal for you. If there are more than 10 network users, a leased line will be far more efficient for you,

What applications are they using?

Do you use a lot of cloud-based applications? VoIP? Do you transfer large files over email? If yes, then you should consider a leased line. For anything else, broadband should suit your needs just fine.

How crucial is the internet to my daily routine?

How much could 10 minutes of downtime cost you? Ask yourself: ‘If the internet cut out, would it bring everything I do to a halt?

With broadband, you can at times, have a reduced speed depending on the demands on the network. This is because broadband works on a contended network (more on that in a minute).

If going without the internet is not an option, you will want the rock steady reliability of a leased line. The SLA for this ensures you will only be without the internet for a few hours.

Or it may be for your business there are some things you can do in the short-term without the internet, in which case a broadband connection should be just fine for you.

Contention

What is contention?

Imagine this – there is a well full of water in a village. The well has 60 litres of water, which means you technically, have 60 litres available to you. But, this is a shared well so when you have 20 thirsty people all wanting water from the well, there is only enough for 3 litres each – it works in the same way for broadband, it just depends how many people want water at the same time. With Leased lines – the well is in your garden and it is all yours.

Leased lines use an uncontended network. There is nobody using this except you, so your connection won’t be slowed down by other users in the area.

Broadband is contended, so you are sharing your connection with several other users. This can reduce your speed at peak times.

Asymmetrical vs Symmetrical speeds

• Symmetrical – upload and download speeds match
• Asymmetrical – uploads slower than downloads

So, what’s the big deal? It really depends on your business needs and requirements.

If you have an asymmetrical connection your upload speeds are slower than your download speeds. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re a business with limited internet needs (that is, you don’t upload a lot of files, you require a lower-cost internet connection) then an asymmetrical-type connection is probably exactly what you need.

But if you’re using cloud based applications, use VoIP, sending large amounts of data and VPN networks then you will need a symmetrical connection.

Which is better broadband or a leased line?

For a business, we’d almost always recommend a leased line over broadband.

Whilst there is a greater cost associated this is offset by the operational efficiencies it can give your business and is outweighed by the other benefits. A dedicated leased line supported by SLAs means you will have a robust internet connection that you can rely upon. You won’t have to worry about downtime or slow speeds being of detriment to your business and will be able to scale the connection in line with your business growth.

But that is not to say broadband isn’t right for you. If you have less than 10 users who aren’t using cloud-intensive applications, then the service that a broadband connection provides as well as the lower costs make this perfect for smaller businesses.

For more information about what is right for your business and to see what is available in your area, contact us. We’ll work with you to understand what your business needs, now and in the future. We’ll make sure that whatever you have planned, you have the tools to make it happen.