What Speed Leased Line Does Your Business Need? UK 2026 Guide Quick Answer
Most UK small businesses do not automatically need a 1Gbps leased line.
The right leased line speed depends on how many people use the connection at the same time, what your business does online, whether you use cloud software, how often you upload files, and how important uptime is.
As a simple guide:
Business setup
Recommended leased line speed
1-5 users, basic cloud apps and email
100Mbps/100Mbps
5-15 users, VoIP, video calls and cloud tools
100Mbps-300Mbps
15-40 users, frequent video calls and file sharing
300Mbps-500Mbps
40-100 users, hybrid work and cloud-heavy systems
500Mbps-1Gbps
100+ users, large files or enterprise systems
1Gbps+
Media, engineering, SaaS, data or multi-site teams
1Gbps-10Gbps
For many SMEs, 100Mbps or 300Mbps is enough.
For cloud-heavy offices, hybrid teams, VoIP-heavy businesses, design teams and companies with lots of simultaneous users, 500Mbps or 1Gbps could be a better long-term choice.
Speed is only part of the decision. You should also compare uptime SLA, latency, fix time, backup connection, router, security, contract length and total monthly cost.
Compare Leased Line Quotes
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK leased line providers
Need help choosing the right leased line speed? A leased line quote should match your actual business usage, not just the fastest package available.
Compare leased line quotes based on:
number of users
cloud software
VoIP phones
Teams and Zoom calls
VPNs
remote desktops
large file uploads
EPOS systems
guest WiFi
backup requirements
SLA
fix time
postcode availability
contract length
total monthly cost
Leased Line Cost Calculator UK Estimate your monthly leased line cost, annual spend, total contract value and whether dedicated internet is likely to be worth comparing for your business.
Required leased line speed
100Mbps 200Mbps 500Mbps 1Gbps 2Gbps 10Gbps Choose the committed speed your business needs.
Bearer size
100Mbps bearer 1Gbps bearer 10Gbps bearer A larger bearer can make future speed upgrades easier.
Business usage
Standard office use VoIP, video calls and cloud software Heavy uploads, backups or large files Critical operations / cannot trade offline Enterprise, data-heavy or multi-site Higher usage may increase recommended resilience and speed.
Location type
City / strong network availability Town / mixed availability Rural / limited availability Business park / complex install Leased line pricing is highly postcode-specific.
Contract length
12 months 24 months 36 months 60 months Longer contracts usually reduce the monthly price.
Resilience requirement
No extra resilience 4G/5G or broadband backup Diverse backup circuit Useful if downtime would stop trading.
SLA requirement
Standard business SLA Enhanced SLA / faster fix Critical SLA / maximum uptime focus Higher SLA expectations can affect provider choice.
Your estimated leased line cost
Estimated monthly cost
£0
Estimated cost per Mbps
£0
Recommended option
Leased line
Difference vs broadband
£0
Enter your details to estimate your leased line cost.
Recommendation will appear here.
This calculator is an estimate only. Actual leased line costs vary by postcode, network availability, bearer size, contract length, installation, excess construction charges, SLA, resilience, provider and survey results.
Key takeaways
Most small businesses should compare 100Mbps, 300Mbps and 500Mbps before jumping to 1Gbps.
100Mbps/100Mbps can be enough for small teams using email, browsing, VoIP and light cloud tools.
300Mbps-500Mbps is often a strong fit for growing SMEs with regular video calls, SaaS tools and file sharing.
1Gbps is best for cloud-heavy, hybrid, multi-site or data-intensive businesses.
10Gbps is usually only needed for enterprise, media, SaaS, engineering, data or very high-bandwidth environments.
Leased lines are symmetrical, so upload speed matches download speed.
BT says BTnet is a 100% uncontended dedicated service, with circuits available up to 10Gbps.
Speed is not the only factor. Latency, SLA, fix time and backup matter just as much.
The best leased line speed depends on simultaneous usage, not just employee headcount.
Always compare leased line quotes by postcode, because availability and price vary significantly.
Contents:
Why Leased Line Speed Matters
Leased Line Speed Comparison
How to Work Out What Speed You Actually Need
100Mb vs 1Gb Leased Line
Security & Latency Considerations
Cost Breakdown
ROI of Choosing the Right Speed
How do we work?
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: August 2026
Why Leased Line Speed Matters Business internet speed is no longer just about downloads, and modern businesses rely on:
Microsoft 365
Google Workspace
Teams
Zoom
Google Meet
VoIP phone systems
CRM platforms
cloud accounting
EPOS systems
remote desktop access
VPNs
file sharing
cloud backups
cyber security tools
AI tools
customer portals
payment platforms
Many of these tools need stable upload speed, low latency and consistent bandwidth.
That is where leased lines are different from standard broadband.
A leased line gives your business a dedicated, uncontended connection, which means your bandwidth is not shared in the same way as standard broadband, so speeds are more consistent during busy periods.
Leased Line Speed Comparison
Leased line speed Best for Typical monthly cost guide Notes
100Mbps/100Mbps
Small offices, VoIP, email and light cloud use
£150-£250
200Mbps/200Mbps
Small teams with regular video calls
£170-£280
300Mbps/300Mbps
Growing SMEs and cloud tools
£180-£300
Strong value if available
500Mbps/500Mbps
Medium teams, hybrid work and file sharing
£200-£350
1Gbps/1Gbps
Cloud-heavy teams, remote access and larger offices
£250-£500+
10Gbps
Enterprise and data-heavy workloads
Custom pricing
Usually overkill for most SMEs
How to Work Out What Speed You Actually Need Start with four questions:
How many people use the connection at the same time?
How many video calls happen at once?
Do you upload large files or run cloud backups?
What happens if the connection slows down or fails?
Employee count alone is not enough.
A 10-person design studio may need more bandwidth than a 40-person office using mainly email and cloud documents.
Leased line speed by number of users
Simultaneous users Recommended speed to compare Best fit
1-5 users
100Mbps/100Mbps
Email, browsing, cloud documents and light VoIP
5-15 users
100Mbps-300Mbps
VoIP, video calls, CRM and SaaS tools
15-40 users
300Mbps-500Mbps
Multiple calls, cloud storage and regular uploads
40-100 users
500Mbps-1Gbps
Hybrid teams, remote access and heavy SaaS use
100+ users
1Gbps+
Larger offices and high concurrent usage
Data-heavy teams
1Gbps-10Gbps
Media, engineering, SaaS, analytics or cloud backups
Leased line speed by business activity
Business activity Recommended speed to compare Why
Basic office work
100Mbps-200Mbps
Email, browsing and cloud documents
VoIP phones
100Mbps-300Mbps
Stability and latency matter more than raw speed
Daily Teams or Zoom calls
200Mbps-500Mbps
Supports simultaneous calls and screen sharing
Hybrid office with remote access
300Mbps-1Gbps
Supports VPNs, remote desktops and cloud apps
Cloud-first business
500Mbps-1Gbps
Better for SaaS, cloud storage and backups
Retail or hospitality head office
100Mbps-500Mbps
EPOS, bookings, payments, guest WiFi and admin
Design, media or video production
1Gbps+
Large uploads and downloads
Engineering or architecture
1Gbps+
CAD, BIM and large file transfers
Call centre
300Mbps-1Gbps
VoIP quality and resilience matter
Multi-site business
500Mbps-1Gbps+
Site-to-site connectivity and remote access
SaaS or tech company
1Gbps-10Gbps
Cloud workloads, deployments and data transfer
100Mb vs 1Gb Leased Line: Which Is Right for You? Here’s the most important comparison for UK SMEs:
Factor 100Mbps leased line 1Gbps leased line
Upload/download speed
100Mbps/100Mbps
Best for
Small teams and light cloud use
Hybrid, cloud-heavy and larger teams
Video calls
Good for small numbers of calls
Better for many simultaneous calls
VoIP
Good if latency is low
Excellent if properly configured
Cloud apps
Fine for basic use
Better for heavy SaaS and file sync
Large file uploads
Limited
Much faster
Future-proofing
Limited
Stronger
Cost
Lower
Higher, but gap varies by postcode
Risk of overbuying
Low
Upgrade path
Often upgradeable
Already high capacity
The bottom line: long-term investment.
Choose 100Mbps if your team is small and internet use is simple.
Choose 1Gbps if your business relies heavily on cloud systems, remote access, large files, video calls or future growth.
Choose 300Mbps or 500Mbps if you need a practical middle ground.
Is 100Mbps enough for a small business? Yes, 100Mbps can be enough for a small business if usage is simple enough for:
small offices
1-10 users
email
browsing
VoIP
cloud documents
light CRM use
card payments
small file uploads
It may not be enough if you have:
lots of simultaneous video calls
large file uploads
cloud backups
remote desktops
design files
many guest WiFi users
heavy SaaS tools
multi-site VPNs
Because a leased line is symmetrical, 100Mbps/100Mbps is much more useful for business uploads than many standard broadband products with weaker upload speeds.
Is 500Mbps enough for a business? Yes, 500Mbps is enough for many SMEs and can suit:
15-40 users
regular video calls
cloud software
file sharing
VoIP
CRM
online backups
EPOS systems
hybrid teams
small call centres
growing offices
For many businesses, 500Mbps is the best balance between cost and performance and is also a useful step if 1Gbps feels unnecessary but 100Mbps feels too limited.
Is 1Gbps leased line worth it? A 1Gbps leased line is worth it if your internet connection is business-critical and your team uses cloud-heavy tools every day, so worth comparing if you have:
40+ users
hybrid workers
remote desktop users
multiple Teams or Zoom calls
large file uploads
cloud backups
SaaS systems
VoIP-heavy usage
multi-site connectivity
media or design workflows
plans to grow
poor broadband performance
a high cost of downtime
Do you need 10Gbps leased line? Most SMEs do not need 10Gbps, and they are really only usually for:
enterprise offices
data centres
SaaS businesses
media production
large engineering teams
financial services
healthcare networks
universities
multi-site networks
businesses with very heavy cloud and data transfer needs
For most small and medium-sized businesses, 100Mbps, 300Mbps, 500Mbps or 1Gbps will be more realistic.
Speed is not everything: latency, SLA and fix time matter A faster leased line is not always better if the provider has weak support or poor routing, and you should holistically compare:
latency
jitter
packet loss
uptime SLA
fix time
fault response
provider network
contention
router quality
support hours
backup connection
managed firewall
static IPs
DDoS protection
SD-WAN options
What are the companies saying?
BT says its BTnet SLA covers maximum UK network latency of 20ms.
Virgin Media Business highlights a 6-hour fault response time for Dedicated Internet Access.
Vodafone describes Dedicated Internet Access as private and uncontended, built for consistent speed and reliability.
Cost Breakdown: What You Actually Pay For Leased line cost usually depends on:
speed
postcode
provider
contract length
installation route
excess construction charges
SLA
backup connection
router
firewall
managed service
static IPs
support level
upgrade options
Typical monthly cost guide:
Speed Monthly cost guide
100Mbps
£150-£250
200Mbps
£170-£280
300Mbps
£180-£300
500Mbps
£200-£350
1Gbps
£250-£500+
10Gbps
Custom quote
Leased line speed for Teams, Zoom and VoIP Video calls and VoIP do not always need huge bandwidth, but they do need stability.
For Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and VoIP, compare:
upload speed
latency
jitter
packet loss
router quality
Quality of Service settings
backup connection
support response
fix time
SLA
If calls drop, lag or sound distorted, the problem may not be headline speed.
It may be latency, WiFi, router setup, contention, packet loss or poor failover.
A leased line can help because the connection is dedicated and symmetrical.
Leased line speed checklist Before choosing a speed, ask:
How many staff use the connection at once?
How many video calls happen at the same time?
Do we use VoIP phones?
Do we upload large files?
Do remote staff connect to office systems?
Do we use cloud backups?
Do we need guest WiFi?
Do we process payments online or in-store?
Do we have EPOS systems?
Do we need static IP addresses?
Would downtime stop work?
Do we need a backup connection?
Are we likely to grow in the next 12-36 months?
Can we upgrade speed later?
What is the total contract cost?
Common leased line speed mistakes Avoid these mistakes:
assuming every SME needs 1Gbps
choosing the cheapest quote without checking SLA
ignoring upload speed
comparing leased lines to broadband only by download speed
ignoring latency and jitter
forgetting backup connectivity
not checking upgrade options
choosing too long a contract without growth planning
not checking excess construction charges
blaming speed when the real issue is WiFi
not checking router or firewall quality
forgetting remote desktop and VPN performance
buying 10Gbps when 1Gbps is enough
choosing 100Mbps when your team is cloud-heavy
FAQs About What Speed Leased Line Do You Need What leased line speed does my business need?
Most small businesses should compare 100Mbps, 300Mbps or 500Mbps leased lines. Larger, cloud-heavy, hybrid or data-intensive businesses may need 1Gbps or more.
Is 100Mbps enough for a small business?
Yes, 100Mbps can be enough for a small office using email, browsing, VoIP and light cloud tools. It may not be enough for heavy video calls, large file uploads or remote desktops.
Is 500Mbps enough for a business?
Yes, 500Mbps is enough for many SMEs using cloud software, VoIP, video calls, file sharing and hybrid working. It is often a good middle-ground speed.
Is 1Gbps leased line worth it?
A 1Gbps leased line is worth it for larger teams, cloud-heavy businesses, remote access, large file uploads, VoIP-heavy offices and companies that need strong future-proofing.
Do small businesses need 1Gbps leased lines?
Not always. Many small businesses can use 100Mbps, 200Mbps, 300Mbps or 500Mbps. A 1Gbps leased line is best when usage, growth or uptime demands justify the higher cost.
How many users can a 100Mbps leased line support?
A 100Mbps leased line may support around 1-10 users with light-to-moderate usage. If the team uses lots of video calls, remote desktops or file uploads, compare 300Mbps or 500Mbps.
How many users can a 1Gbps leased line support?
A 1Gbps leased line can support many users, but the real number depends on usage. It may suit 40-100+ users, cloud-heavy teams or businesses with large upload demands.
Is leased line speed guaranteed?
A leased line is designed to provide dedicated, uncontended bandwidth. Provider terms vary, so check the SLA, speed commitment, fix time and support details before signing.
Does leased line speed affect video calls?
Yes, but speed is not the only factor. Teams, Zoom and VoIP performance also depends on latency, jitter, packet loss, router quality and internal WiFi.
Can I upgrade leased line speed later?
Often, yes, but it depends on provider, bearer size, contract and circuit design. Check upgrade options before signing.
What is the most future-proof leased line speed?
For many growing SMEs, 500Mbps or 1Gbps is a good future-proofing point. For enterprise or data-heavy teams, 10Gbps may be worth comparing.
Is 10Gbps leased line overkill?
For most SMEs, yes. 10Gbps is usually only needed for enterprise, data-heavy, media, SaaS, engineering or multi-site environments.
Our Leased Line Panel of Experts
Need faster leased lines connections? Find our other useful links below:
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.