Choosing between FTTP broadband and a leased line is a common question for UK SMEs. Both offer full-fibre connectivity, but the differences in SLAs, symmetry, contention and uptime guarantees can be critical for offices that rely on VoIP, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, PCI compliance or multi-site networking.
Key takeaways
- Leased line: dedicated fibre, symmetrical speeds, uncontended, 99.9%+ SLAs.
- FTTP: high downstream speeds, lower cost, but shared bandwidth and best-effort fix times.
- Choose leased lines for call centres, trading floors, multi-site SD-WAN or mission-critical services.
- FTTP is excellent value for most SMEs needing speed but not guaranteed uptime.
FTTP: cost-effective full fibre
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) gives gigabit-class downstream and low latency. It’s ideal for video calls, cloud apps and remote work. However, it’s contended, meaning performance can dip at busy times. Fix times are best-effort, so an outage could last hours.
Leased lines: guaranteed uptime
A leased line provides symmetrical bandwidth, zero contention, and strict SLAs (4- or 5-hour fix). Perfect for offices that run VoIP, PCI-sensitive payments, or 24/7 operations. With QoS, VoIP and video always take priority, keeping calls clear even at peak load.
Which is right for your office?
- FTTP: cheaper, fast, widely available. Great for most SMEs, start-ups, or single sites.
- Leased line: higher cost, but adds uptime guarantees and symmetrical performance.
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Recently asked questions
Is a leased line really faster than FTTP?
Not always in raw speed — FTTP can deliver 1Gb+ downloads. But leased lines guarantee symmetry (uploads equal downloads) and are never contended, so performance is consistent.
How much more expensive is a leased line?
Typically 4–10× the monthly cost of FTTP. Prices depend on location, bandwidth and contract length. For uptime-critical sites, the ROI comes from avoiding downtime costs.
Can we upgrade from FTTP to a leased line later?
Yes. Many UK businesses start with FTTP and move to a leased line when growth or reliability demands it. We help with migration planning.
Which is better for VoIP and Teams calls?
Both can work well with QoS. But leased lines guarantee clear voice/video even during busy periods. FTTP may fluctuate at peak times if contended.