Whether you are running a small business or in charge of IT infrastructure for a larger concern, establishing a solid foundation for communications is imperative. Phone lines, and now increasingly data speeds and network efficiency can be the different between effective inter-departmental communication and a disjoined business, and companies like Exponential-e help businesses across the country in switching to their leased lines and other improved technologies.

There are significant efficiency gains to be uncovered in the process of upgrading your business communications, and organisations nationwide are quick to reap these benefits.

A leased line is one of the key upgrades companies like yours might choose, boosting the reliability and performance of their communications networks. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of relying on leased lines, and is this a worthwhile consideration for your business at the moment?

Leased Lines Explained

A leased line is a physical fibre optic or copper cable, which runs between two points and is leased for exclusive use by one company. This means that rather than sharing the communications infrastructure used by everyone else, you can reroute your communications through a dedicated line. There are a number of advantages that come from choosing this route, and businesses do so both out of a need to improve their communications, and a desire to be more efficient in how they access, share and interact with internal network data.

The Pros of Leased Lines

– Dedicated: the most obvious distinction with a leased line is also one of its core advantages. Being a dedicated line for communications, you don’t have to pass data over the same networks and exchanges as everyone else. Think of this like the fast lane on the motorway, except it’s reserved for your business and your staff. This means you can get the results you need much quicker than everyone else (and much quicker than competitors using mainstream connections!).

– More reliable: reliability is improved too, for much the same reasons. Rather than spreading the connection over countless different users, reducing the total number of users (even if your entire
Sourceorganisation shares a leased line) will help improve the performance and reliability of your system, so you will be less likely to experience any loss in connectivity.

– Handles scale: whether you’re a big company now or you’re headed that way in future, a leased line is better placed to handle scale as your organisation grows – without frustrating load times and delays in your Internet access.

The Cons of Leased Lines

– More expensive than regular connections: if you’re comparing a leased line against a standard business connection, you will probably spend more for it. However, with a clear business case, it is easy to justify paying more for performance that is significantly beyond what you can expect with any standard connection.

– Limited availability: by definition, leased lines are limited to the sheer number of cables buried underneath your feet. For that reason, it’s important not to delay when you’re setting up a leased line – Exponential-e provide leased lines, and advise their clients to discuss setting up a leased line as soon as possible to ensure it remains practically doable within the surrounding local infrastructure.

If you operate in a communications-critical industry, or in an environment where file sharing, rapid data, and reliable connections are crucial, a leased line can be seen as a sensible investment. While there is a greater ongoing cost than a regular business phone line, the exclusivity element of using a leased line ensures that you can actually save on inefficiencies, boost productivity, and ultimately see a return on your decision to invest in a leased line.