2025 leased line pricing: 100Mbps from £260/month, 500Mbps from £411/month, 1Gbps from £437/month. Compare providers, contracts, and save up to 37% with expert benchmarking.
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Business leased lines have shifted from expensive luxury to strategic necessity. A dedicated 100Mbps leased line now costs from £260/month—bringing guaranteed, symmetric bandwidth within reach of growing SMEs and mid-market businesses. Unlike shared fibre broadband, leased lines deliver uncontended speed backed by financial SLA guarantees, meaning downtime automatically triggers credit. If your business revenue depends on uptime, a £260–£437/month investment in guaranteed 99.9% performance often delivers better ROI than choosing cheaper shared fibre and risking outage costs exceeding £1,000/hour. Before committing, benchmark your actual bandwidth needs against real provider quotes, confirm installation costs (free with 3-year terms, £2,079+ on shorter contracts), and understand how distance from provider access points influences final pricing—all critical factors that separate true cost from headline rate.
Leased line pricing reflects three core variables: speed tier, provider competition, and contract commitment length. Our 2025 research surveyed quotes for locations in central Manchester—a city with strong fibre and gigabit-capable infrastructure availability. All prices reflect three-year contract terms with free installation, the commercial standard for businesses seeking budget certainty.
The key insight: price increases between speed tiers are surprisingly modest. Moving from 100Mbps to 500Mbps costs only 58% more (£260 to £411/month), and jumping to 1Gbps adds just another 6% (£437/month). This non-linear pricing structure means mid-market businesses often find 500Mbps or 1Gbps leased lines more cost-effective than they expect—especially when factoring in growth headroom and future application demands.
100Mbps leased lines represent the entry point for business-grade connectivity. This tier is ideal for growing teams (25–75 users) running cloud productivity suites (Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, SharePoint) without experiencing lag or contention during peak hours. Unlike standard FTTP fibre (which is shared with neighbors), a 100Mbps leased line is dedicated—your speed never throttles, regardless of neighborhood demand.
Provider competition at this tier is fierce, driving costs down. Major carriers (BT, Vodafone, TalkTalk) compete directly with alternative providers (CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear) for market share, creating genuine pricing disparity. Our 2025 research found 100Mbps leased line quotes ranging from £260/month (CityFibre) to £342/month (BT Business), a 31% spread for identical speed and SLA terms.
At CityFibre's £260/month entry point, a 100Mbps leased line costs just £15 more per month than BT's Superfast Fibre (76Mbps shared). For that £15 premium, you gain 24Mbps extra dedicated speed, automatic SLA credits for any downtime, and a static IP as standard. From a business outcome perspective—not just speed—this represents exceptional value. Multiply £15/month by 24 months, and you're investing just £360 extra over two years for guaranteed uptime and symmetric bandwidth.
One strategic consideration: request a 1Gbps bearer alongside your 100Mbps leased line. This means your physical fibre infrastructure supports future upgrades to 500Mbps or 1Gbps without re-installation. The bearer typically adds £0–£50/month but provides future-proofing and future upgrade flexibility at minimal cost.
500Mbps leased lines are the sweet spot for mid-market operations: marketing agencies handling video rendering, financial services firms running live data feeds, and logistics companies managing heavy IoT telemetry. The bandwidth gap between 100Mbps and 500Mbps (400Mbps extra) sounds dramatic, yet pricing is only 58% higher—£411–£673/month versus £260–£342 for 100Mbps.
This pricing efficiency reflects provider competition and technology maturity. 500Mbps is now a mature commodity; fibre availability across UK cities means multiple providers can compete on price. By contrast, exotic tiers (e.g., 250Mbps) command premiums because they're less standardized.
Provider variation is even more pronounced at 500Mbps than 100Mbps. CityFibre quotes around £411/month, while BT Business approaches £500/month for identical terms. When you calculate total contract cost (£411 × 36 months = £14,796 via CityFibre vs. £500 × 36 = £18,000 via BT), the difference is £3,204—material enough to justify a formal provider comparison before signing.
The business case for 500Mbps strengthens if your operations include regular large file transfers, cloud backup windows, or multi-site video conferencing. A single 2GB file backup takes 16 seconds on 1Gbps, but 3.2 minutes on 100Mbps—a seemingly trivial difference that compounds across daily operations. Revenue-impacting delays justify premium pricing.
1Gbps (gigabit) leased lines deliver symmetric 1,000Mbps upload and download—eliminating bandwidth constraints for enterprise-scale operations. Financial trading floors, media production studios, and large software development teams rely on 1Gbps to support concurrent high-bandwidth workflows without degradation.
The surprise: 1Gbps pricing barely exceeds 500Mbps. Our 2025 research found quotes from £437–£994/month—only £26–£321/month above 500Mbps tier. At CityFibre's estimated £500/month for 1Gbps (extrapolated from 500Mbps pricing trends), a gigabit line costs less than many enterprise cloud subscriptions while providing infrastructure that scales for years.
The wide range (£437–£994) reflects provider strategy and location. Alternative providers (Hyperoptic, CityFibre) cluster around £450–£550/month, while incumbents (BT, Vodafone) range £700–£1,000/month. This 50–120% pricing variance is why benchmarking through a comparison tool like AMVIA's leased line finder is non-negotiable before committing budget.
For organizations with revenue tied to uptime—e-commerce, SaaS platforms, trading systems—1Gbps with dual-line redundancy (automatic failover to a second leased line) is insurance, not luxury. The total cost (£437 × 2 lines = £874/month) is often recovered within weeks if it prevents a single major outage.
Bandwidth is the dominant cost variable. A 10Mbps leased line costs £80–£120/month, while 10Gbps approaches £2,000–£3,000/month. However, cost doesn't scale linearly with speed. The jump from 10Mbps to 100Mbps (10x speed) costs roughly 3x more, while 100Mbps to 1Gbps (10x speed) costs only 1.7x more. This reflects economies of scale and provider pricing strategies favoring higher tiers to drive enterprise migration.
When selecting speed, avoid the trap of "minimum viable speed." If you need 80Mbps today, a 100Mbps line (£260/month) costs only £30 more than a 50Mbps line (£230/month estimate) but provides buffer for growth. Over 36 months, that £30 premium (£1,080 total) is cheap insurance against the £2,000–£3,000 cost and downtime of mid-contract upgrade.
Provider choice is your second-largest lever. At 100Mbps, pricing ranges from £260 (CityFibre) to £417 (TalkTalk) to £472 (BT)—a 44-82% spread for identical speed and SLA terms. At 500Mbps, similar variance persists: CityFibre ~£411 vs. BT Business ~£500–£550. These aren't premium versus budget tiers; they reflect market position, infrastructure ownership, and appetite for market share.
Alternative providers (CityFibre, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear) consistently undercut incumbents by 20–40%. Why? These providers own fibre infrastructure in their territories and compete on price to drive volume. BT owns legacy copper and FTTP networks—advantage in rural areas, but less price flexibility in competitive urban markets.
AMVIA's recommendation: always run quotes from at least three providers. The savings are material—potentially £100–£200/month, or £3,600–£7,200 over a three-year contract.
Monthly line rental is fixed, but contract length dictates installation—the hidden cost driver. On a three-year term, BT Business offers free installation. On one or two-year terms, expect £2,000–£3,000 installation charges, plus potentially higher monthly rates (some providers charge 15–20% premiums for shorter commitments).
Example: a 500Mbps BT Business leased line on a one-year term might cost £897/month + £2,079 installation = £12,843 total for year one. The same line on a three-year term could be £650/month with free installation = £23,400 total over three years, or £7,800/year—dramatically lower annual cost despite the longer commitment.
This structure incentivizes long-term commitment. If your business outlook is stable for 24+ months (typical for growing SMEs), a three-year term with free installation is almost always the ROI winner. If you face uncertainty (pending acquisition, office relocation), negotiate shorter terms and accept higher upfront installation costs as flexibility insurance.
Geographic pricing isn't uniform. Pricing within major cities (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh) is competitive and consistent—expect £260–£500/month for 100Mbps across all major providers. Rural and suburban areas see higher costs because fibre infrastructure is less dense, forcing longer "last-mile" runs from provider access points to your premises.
The critical distance threshold is 20 miles from the provider's nearest point of presence (PoP). Premises beyond 20 miles can see costs rise 30–50%. A 100Mbps line in central Manchester might cost £260/month; the same line 25 miles away (semi-rural outskirts) could jump to £320–£390/month. At 1Gbps, the penalty is even sharper—potentially £600–£800/month versus £450–£500 in city centers.
Action: always ask providers to confirm your location relative to their PoP and what distance surcharge (if any) applies. Use this in negotiations—if one provider's PoP is closer, they can undercut rivals on price by reducing their distance penalty.
Most business leased lines operate on dedicated physical fibre—your speed is guaranteed, unshared, and unaffected by neighbors' usage. However, some lower-cost providers offer "shared bearer" models—multiple customers share the same fibre trunk, with guaranteed speed only during peak hours (typically 8am–6pm). These cost 15–25% less but introduce evening/weekend throttle risk.
For business-critical operations, always confirm your line is dedicated end-to-end. SLA terms should explicitly guarantee "uncontended" bandwidth, with automatic credits for any breach. Shared bearer lines are suitable only for non-critical use cases (backup, development environments, secondary office connectivity).
Calling individual providers and requesting quotes is inefficient—each sales team will anchor pricing high, and you'll spend days chasing follow-ups. AMVIA's free leased line comparison tool submits your criteria (speed, location, contract length, SLA requirements) to multiple providers simultaneously, returning competitive quotes within 24 hours. You'll see real pricing from CityFibre, BT Business, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and others side-by-side—making the savings (often 30–37%) immediately visible.
Three-year contracts almost always deliver the lowest effective cost per month. You secure free installation, get volume discounts, and lock pricing for 36 months—eliminating mid-term rate creep. Even if business circumstances change, the long-term cost advantage usually outweighs the cost of early termination clauses.
Ensure your leased line is provisioned on a 1Gbps bearer—the underlying fibre infrastructure that can support future speed upgrades. This typically adds £0–£50/month but future-proofs your investment. If you outgrow 100Mbps in 18 months, you can upgrade to 500Mbps on the same bearer without expensive re-provisioning, saving thousands in re-installation costs.
For some use cases, a hybrid approach costs less. BT Superfast Fibre (76Mbps, £45/month) + a second 4G backup router (£0–£50/month) totals ~£95/month for geographic diversity but shared peak-hour risk. Compare this against a 100Mbps dedicated leased line (£260/month). If your tolerance for brief outages is high and your team is geographically dispersed, the hybrid model might justify choosing cheaper fibre. For revenue-critical operations, the leased line's SLA guarantee justifies the premium.
If your business operates multiple offices, negotiate a bundle. Providers often discount 15–25% on volume (e.g., three leased lines across three sites). Mention this upfront in your comparison tool submission—many providers automatically offer bundled pricing in quote responses, but some require explicit negotiation.
CityFibre consistently quotes 20–35% below incumbents for 100Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1Gbps leased lines. Their entry-level 100Mbps line at £260/month is the market low. Downside: availability is limited to fiber-rich zones (urban centers, some suburban areas). Coverage maps show CityFibre reaching ~40% of UK premises—expanding, but not nationwide. Check your postcode before assuming CityFibre availability.
BT Business quotes 30–50% above CityFibre for identical speeds and terms. Their advantage is national coverage—BT owns legacy copper and FTTP networks, meaning leased lines are available in rural areas competitors can't reach. For businesses outside major cities, BT may be the only option; accept the premium. For urban/suburban operations, BT is rarely the cost leader—compare against at least two alternatives before committing.
TalkTalk Business pricing sits between aggressive rivals (CityFibre) and incumbents (BT). For 100Mbps, expect quotes around £350–£417/month—15–25% above CityFibre but 10–20% below BT. Their support model is responsive and their SLA terms are transparent. Solid choice for growing businesses seeking balance between price and support quality.
Hyperoptic specializes in gigabit-capable fibre and 1Gbps+ leased lines. Their pricing for 1Gbps (~£500–£650/month) is competitive with CityFibre and undercuts BT. Availability is limited to fiber-dense urban areas (London, Manchester, other major cities). Ideal for metropolitan businesses needing cutting-edge speeds; unavailable in most suburban/rural locations.
AMVIA bundles leased line connectivity with dedicated expert support, SLA management, and broadband alternatives into a unified consultation. Rather than selling a line at the lowest possible price, AMVIA models your actual usage, recommends optimal speed tier, and handles end-to-end provisioning and testing. Pricing is competitive (often £20–£50/month above market low) but includes implementation expertise, ongoing optimization, and direct UK expert support—90-second response guarantee, no voicemail. For businesses where downtime costs exceed support investment, AMVIA's model delivers superior ROI.
Get a personalized quote from AMVIA: use the free leased line finder, or call 0333 733 8050 for direct expert assessment.
Yes—if your leased line is provisioned on a 1Gbps bearer. Upgrades typically incur a small administrative fee (£50–£200) but no re-installation cost. Without a 1Gbps bearer, upgrading requires complete re-provisioning and installation—costing £2,000–£3,000. Always request a 1Gbps bearer at signup to preserve upgrade flexibility.
Your SLA kicks in. Standard leased line SLAs guarantee 99.9% uptime (max 43 minutes downtime per month). If actual downtime exceeds 43 minutes, you receive automatic credit—typically 10–25% of that month's rental, applied to your next invoice. AMVIA's SLA includes sub-90-second engineer response guarantee, ensuring rapid fault diagnosis and repair, not just automatic credit weeks later.
Leased lines are necessary if you require guaranteed symmetric speed and automatic SLA penalties for downtime. FTTP is shared (neighbors' usage affects yours), lacks SLA guarantees, and has no automatic credit for outages. If your business revenue depends on guaranteed connectivity (trading floors, SaaS platforms, call centers), leased line's price premium (£150–£200/month extra versus FTTP) is insurance, not luxury. For non-critical use (office general internet, backup connectivity), FTTP is adequate.
Typical installation is 4–8 weeks from contract signature to live connection. CityFibre and alternative providers often complete in 4–6 weeks (fibre already in-ground). BT's legacy copper network can extend timelines to 6–8 weeks. Confirm installation timeline in your quote before committing—delays can have cascading impact on office relocation or system migration schedules.
Most leased line contracts include early termination clauses. Three-year terms typically allow cancellation with 60–90 days' notice, but you'll pay remaining contract value (e.g., cancel at month 18 of a 36-month £500/month line = £9,000 early termination charge). Negotiate exit clauses before signing—some providers allow "reasonable notice" flexibility, others enforce strict financial penalties. AMVIA can help negotiate exit flexibility into contract terms.
Start with AMVIA's free leased line finder tool. Submit your location, desired speed, contract length, and current connectivity details. You'll receive quotes from multiple providers within 24 hours, sorted by price and SLA terms. Then contact AMVIA's expert team at 0333 733 8050 (no voicemail, live engineer within 90 seconds) to review quotes, negotiate final pricing, and confirm installation timeline. Most businesses transition to expert-led leased line connectivity within 4–8 weeks, with zero service interruption during migration.
Business leased lines have become commoditized and affordable. A dedicated 100Mbps line (£260/month) costs barely more than premium FTTP fibre yet delivers guaranteed speed, automatic SLA credits, and uncontended bandwidth. For growing businesses where uptime directly impacts revenue, leased line investment delivers measurable ROI within months. Use comparison tools to surface competitive quotes, lock in three-year terms for maximum savings, and ensure your bearer supports future upgrades. The difference between a £260/month decision and a £500/month mistake—spread across 36 months—is £8,640. Spend 30 minutes comparing; save five figures.
Ready to explore leased lines for your business? Use AMVIA's free finder tool, download our complete leased line guide, or call 0333 733 8050 now for personalized expert assessment. No voicemail. No delays. Just transparent pricing and expert guidance.
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