Leased Line Cost UK 2026 | Compare Prices, Speeds & Quotes Quick Answer
A leased line in the UK usually costs around £150-£800+ per month for most SMEs, depending on speed, postcode, contract length, installation complexity and provider availability.
Typical leased line costs in 2026 are:
Leased line speed Typical monthly cost Best for
100Mb leased line
£150-£300+ per month
SMEs, VoIP, cloud apps and reliable uploads
500Mb leased line
£250-£600+ per month
Growing teams and heavier cloud use
1Gb leased line
£300-£800+ per month
Larger offices, hosted desktops and cloud backups
10Gb leased line
£1,000-£2,000+ per month
Enterprise, data-heavy and mission-critical sites
Installation can range from £0 to £10,000+, although many providers subsidise or waive standard installation on longer contracts. Extra costs can still apply if your premises needs civil works, new fibre, ducting or wayleave permissions.
Virgin Media Business says its Dedicated Internet Access packages start from £185/month for 100Mbps upload and download speeds, while BTnet advertises a 100% availability SLA and 5-hour target fix time.
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Transparent, impartial, and data‑driven reviews made by a team of expert humans, never AI generated – here’s exactly how Compare Your Business Costs helps you find the best deals from trusted UK providers: click here
Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: June 2026
Key Takeaways About Leased Line Cost UK
Leased lines usually cost around £150–£800+ per month for most SMEs, with 10Gb and enterprise circuits costing more.
A 100Mb leased line is often enough for smaller businesses using VoIP, cloud software and video calls.
A 1Gb leased line is better for larger teams, cloud backups, hosted desktops and regular large file uploads.
Postcode is one of the biggest pricing factors because providers check nearby fibre routes before quoting.
Installation may be free on some contracts, but excess construction charges can add thousands if extra build work is needed.
Most leased line contracts are 24–36 months, with 36-month terms often reducing monthly rental or installation cost.
Leased lines give symmetrical upload and download speeds, unlike many business broadband services.
SLAs and fix times matter as much as speed. TalkTalk Business highlights a 4-hour maximum fix time, while Zen says leased lines include 99.9% uptime as standard, with 100% possible with resilience.
Full fibre business broadband may be enough for some SMEs, so compare both before committing.
Comparing providers by postcode is the safest way to avoid overpaying or choosing the wrong circuit.
The Largest Leased Line Providers in the UK
Contents:
Leased Line Pricing in 2026
Compare Leased Line Quotes from UK Providers
What Affects Leased Line Costs?
How Long Does Installation Take?
Why Compare Leased Lines With Us?
Leased Line vs Business Broadband (Quick Comparison)
Leased Line Costs in 2026
Speed Typical monthly cost Typical installation cost Best for
10Mb
£100-£200+
£0-£3,000+
Legacy or very light dedicated use
100Mb
£150-£300+
£0-£3,000+
SMEs, VoIP and cloud apps
500Mb
£250-£600+
£0-£5,000+
Growing offices and heavier cloud use
1Gb
£300-£800+
£0-£10,000+
Larger teams and data-heavy businesses
10Gb
£1,000-£2,000+
Quote required
Enterprise and high-capacity sites
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Leased line cost calculator: quick estimate
Likely connection Typical monthly cost
5-15 staff using email, VoIP and cloud tools
100Mb leased line or FTTP alternative
£150-£300+
15-50 staff using video calls and SaaS tools
100Mb–500Mb leased line
£200-£600+
50-100 staff with hosted desktops or heavy cloud use
500Mb–1Gb leased line
£300-£800+
Creative, media or design agency
500Mb–1Gb leased line
£300-£1,000+
Hotel, venue or large office
1Gb leased line or resilient setup
£400-£1,200+
Enterprise or high-capacity site
10Gb+ leased line
£1,000-£2,000+
What Affects Leased Line Pricing?
Cost factor Why it matters
Postcode
Providers price based on nearby network and fibre availability
Speed
Higher bandwidth usually increases monthly rental
Contract length
Longer contracts can reduce monthly or installation costs
Installation route
Civils, ducts, roadworks or new fibre can increase costs
ECCs
Excess construction charges can add major one-off costs
Wayleave
Landlord or freeholder permission can delay installation
SLA
Stronger service guarantees can affect pricing
Managed router
Provider-managed equipment may cost more
Resilience
Backup circuits and diverse routing increase cost
Provider network
On-net providers may quote more competitively
Rural location
Remote sites can cost more to connect
Leased line installation costs
Installation type Typical cost Notes
Standard installation
£0-£1,000+
Often subsidised on longer contracts
More complex install
£1,000-£3,500+
Possible if extra work is needed
Heavy civil works
£3,500-£10,000+
Can apply if new ducts, fibre or roadworks are required
Enterprise or rural build
Quote required
Costs depend on survey and route
Temporary connectivity
Quote required
Useful while waiting for leased line install
A provider may advertise free installation, but this does not always protect you from ECCs after survey.
Compare providers before accepting installation charges →
Leased Line Installation Times?
Typical timescale
Availability check
Same day to a few days
Incomplete address or unclear site information
Survey
1-2 weeks
Engineer access or complex premises
Wayleave
2-12+ weeks
Landlord or freeholder approval
Civil works
2-12+ weeks
Ducting, roadworks or permits
Router and testing
A few days
Internal IT or configuration issues
Go-live
Final handover
Delayed access or equipment
Excess construction charges: the hidden leased line cost Excess construction charges, or ECCs, are one of the main reasons leased line quotes change after the initial estimate.
ECC trigger
Why it matters
No nearby fibre route
Provider may need to build new network
Blocked ducts
Civil engineering work may be needed
Long private road or estate
Additional cabling can increase cost
Managed or listed building
Permissions and installation can be harder
Wayleave required
Landlord approval can delay the order
Rural premises
Fibre build costs can be higher
Roadworks or permits
Installation can take longer and cost more
Important: Ask whether installation is included, whether ECCs are capped, and what happens if the survey changes the quote.
100Mb vs 1Gb leased line cost
Feature 100Mb leased line 1Gb leased line
Typical monthly cost
£150-£300+
£300-£800+
Best for
SMEs and standard cloud use
Larger teams and high data use
VoIP
Good
Excellent
Video calls
Good
Excellent
Cloud software
Good
Excellent
Large uploads
Limited to moderate
Strong
Hosted desktops
Light to moderate use
Strong
Risk
Outgrowing it
Overpaying if usage is light
Our verdict:
10Gb leased line cost A 10Gb leased line usually costs around £1,000-£2,000+ per month, with installation priced on a case-by-case basis, so is usually best for:
data centres
enterprise offices
media production
financial services
SaaS companies
large campuses
high-capacity cloud workloads
businesses moving huge files daily
For most SMEs, 10Gb is unnecessary. A 100Mb, 500Mb or 1Gb leased line is usually a more realistic comparison point.
Leased line providers and pricing context
Provider Current market context Best for
BT Business / BTnet
Dedicated line, 100% availability SLA and 5-hour target fix time
Businesses wanting major-provider scale and SLA strength
Virgin Media Business
DIA packages from £185/month for 100Mbps upload/download
Businesses in Virgin areas wanting dedicated connectivity
TalkTalk Business
Symmetrical speeds up to 10Gbps and 4-hour maximum fix-time messaging
SMEs comparing competitive DIA options
Zen Business
99.9% uptime as standard, 100% with resilience
Businesses prioritising reliability and support
Colt
Enterprise and high-capacity networks
Larger, multi-site and data-heavy organisations
Daisy
Managed connectivity and telecoms
SMEs wanting broader telecoms support
Vodafone Business
Fixed and mobile connectivity options
Businesses considering resilience and mobile failover
Local fibre providers
Postcode-specific pricing
Businesses close to local fibre infrastructure
Why Compare Leased Lines With Us?
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We’ve helped well over 1,000+ businesses
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We offer independent, expert advice
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Leased Line vs Business Broadband
Feature Leased line Business broadband
Monthly cost
£150-£2,000+
£20-£100+
Connection
Dedicated
Shared
Upload/download
Symmetrical
Often asymmetrical
SLA
Stronger
Basic to enhanced
Fix time
Often 4-6 hours
Varies by package
Installation
30-90+ days
Usually faster
Best for
Critical, cloud-heavy or upload-heavy businesses
Everyday SME internet use
Main drawback
Higher cost
Less predictable performance
Leased line vs full fibre broadband
Feature Full fibre business broadband Leased line
Typical cost
Lower
Higher
Connection
Shared full fibre broadband
Dedicated circuit
Upload/download
Often asymmetric
Symmetrical
SLA
Weaker than leased line
Stronger
Installation
Usually faster if FTTP is available
Survey-led and slower
Best for
Many SMEs
Critical or high-demand businesses
Main advantage
Value
Reliability and guarantees
Is a leased line worth it?
A leased line is worth it if…
Full fibre broadband may be enough if…
Internet downtime stops trading
You mainly use email and browsing
You rely heavily on VoIP
You have a small team and light cloud use
You upload large files daily
You do not need guaranteed upload speed
You use hosted desktops
You can tolerate occasional slowdowns
You run business-critical systems online
Full fibre is available and stable
You need a strong SLA and fix time
Cost is your main priority
You have 20+ regular users
You do not need dedicated bandwidth
Leased line decision table
Your priority Best option
Lowest monthly cost
Compare 100Mb leased line and full fibre alternatives
Best value for SMEs
100Mb or 500Mb leased line
Best for VoIP
SLA-backed leased line with low latency
Best for cloud software
100Mb–500Mb leased line
Best for large file uploads
500Mb–1Gb leased line
Best for hosted desktops
500Mb–1Gb leased line
Best for maximum uptime
Leased line with resilience
Best for multi-site
Managed WAN or SD-WAN comparison
Best for quick installation
Provider with nearby fibre route
Best for avoiding hidden costs
Quote with clear ECC and wayleave terms
Best overall route
Compare postcode-level leased line quotes
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FAQs About Leased Line Costs How much does a leased line cost in the UK?
A leased line in the UK usually costs around £150-£800+ per month for most SMEs, depending on speed, postcode, provider, installation complexity and contract length. Enterprise and 10Gb circuits can cost more.
How much does a 100Mb leased line cost?
A 100Mb leased line typically costs around £150-£300+ per month. Virgin Media Business says its 100Mbps DIA packages start from £185/month.
How much does a 1Gb leased line cost?
A 1Gb leased line typically costs around £300-£800+ per month, depending on postcode, provider, installation route, SLA and contract length.
What is the cheapest leased line?
The cheapest leased line is usually a lower-speed circuit such as 100Mb, but the cheapest provider varies by postcode. Compare quotes before choosing, because installation and ECCs can change the total cost.
Is leased line installation free?
Leased line installation can be free on some longer contracts, but extra construction charges may still apply after survey if new fibre, ducting, civils or wayleave work is required.
What are ECCs?
ECCs are excess construction charges. They apply when a provider needs to carry out extra work to connect your premises, such as new fibre routing, ducting, roadworks or building access work.
How long does leased line installation take?
Leased line installation usually takes 30–90 days, but complex installs can take longer if wayleaves, civil works or survey issues are involved.
Why are leased lines expensive?
Leased lines cost more than business broadband because they provide dedicated bandwidth, symmetrical upload/download speeds, stronger SLAs and faster fault repair commitments.
Is a leased line better than business broadband?
A leased line is better for critical, cloud-heavy or upload-heavy businesses. Business broadband is cheaper and usually suitable for smaller businesses with standard internet use.
Is a leased line better than full fibre?
A leased line is more reliable and usually has stronger guarantees than full fibre broadband. Full fibre is cheaper and can be enough for many SMEs, but it is still usually a shared broadband service.
Is a leased line worth it for small businesses?
A leased line is worth it for a small business if downtime, poor upload speed or unstable connectivity would cost more than the monthly rental. If usage is light, full fibre broadband may be better value.
What speed leased line do I need?
Many SMEs start with 100Mb. Growing teams may need 500Mb, while larger offices, hosted desktops, cloud backups and heavy file transfers may need 1Gb or more.
What is DIA?
DIA stands for Dedicated Internet Access. It is another term for a leased line or dedicated leased line. Virgin Media O2 Business says DIA is also referred to as a leased line, dedicated leased line or DIA.
Do leased lines have SLAs?
Yes. Leased lines normally include service level agreements covering uptime, fault repair and performance. BTnet advertises a 100% availability SLA and 5-hour target fix time.
How do I get the best leased line deal?
Compare providers by postcode, speed, SLA, fix time, contract length, installation route, ECC risk, managed router options, resilience and total cost.
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Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.