Business Broadband vs Leased Line for Remote Teams: Which Is Better?
A practical comparison for UK businesses — covering features, costs, and which option suits different requirements.
Key Facts
Business Broadband vs Leased Line
| Feature | Business Broadband | Leased Line |
|---|---|---|
| Typical SLA | Best efforts; no guaranteed uptime | 99.9–99.99% uptime SLA |
| Fault response time | Next business day (typical) | 4–8 hours (typical) |
| Contention | 10:1 to 50:1 | Uncontended (1:1) |
| Symmetric speeds | No (download >> upload) | Yes |
| Bandwidth guarantee | No | Yes |
| Installation time | 5–15 business days | 30–90 days |
| Typical cost (100Mbps) | £30–£80/month | £300–£700/month |
When to Choose Each Option
Guidance based on your business requirements.
Choose Business Broadband When
Your business has specific requirements that favour this approach. Budget and resources align with this solution. Your existing infrastructure supports it
Choose Leased Line for Remote Teams When
Your business needs a different approach. You have different budget considerations. Your team has relevant experience
Cost Considerations
Both Business Broadband and Leased Line for Remote Teams have different cost profiles. The right choice depends on your business size, existing infrastructure, and specific requirements. AMVIA can help you evaluate which option delivers the best value for your situation.
The AMVIA Recommendation
The AMVIA Recommendation
For remote-first businesses with 10 or more users relying on cloud tools and video conferencing, we recommend a leased line. The predictable performance eliminates the productivity drain of broadband congestion. AMVIA leased line quotes start from £200 per month — often less than the hidden cost of a single lost working day due to connectivity issues.
Get a Free Leased Line QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
The comparison depends on where the connectivity is being evaluated. For the office connection supporting a distributed team, a leased line provides consistent, uncontended, symmetric bandwidth that broadband cannot match during peak hours. For individual remote workers' home connections, standard broadband is typically sufficient for Microsoft 365 and video conferencing.
For small teams, yes. Business broadband with upload speeds above 50Mbps can support multiple concurrent Teams calls. The risk is contention — during peak periods, available bandwidth may drop, affecting call quality unpredictably. For businesses where Teams call quality is business-critical, a leased line eliminates this variability.
Leased lines are available from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, with symmetric upload and download speeds. A 100Mbps leased line provides 100Mbps upload and download consistently, without contention. Business broadband may advertise higher download speeds (up to 1Gbps on some full-fibre products) but will have significantly lower upload speeds and will be subject to contention during peak hours.
Business broadband costs between £30 and £150 per month depending on speed and provider. A 100Mbps leased line typically costs between £300 and £600 per month, with pricing varying by location, provider, and contract term. The cost difference is significant, but for businesses where connectivity is critical infrastructure, the leased line's reliability and SLA often represent better value. See our [leased line cost guide](/leased-lines/questions/leased-line-cost-uk/) for detailed pricing.
Business broadband costs between £30 and £150 per month depending on speed and provider. A 100Mbps leased line typically costs between £300 and £600 per month, with pricing varying by location, provider, and contract term. The cost difference is significant, but for businesses where connectivity is critical infrastructure, the leased line's reliability and SLA often represent better value. See our [leased line cost guide](/leased-lines/questions/leased-line-cost-uk/) for detailed pricing.
Not Sure Which to Choose?
AMVIA can assess your requirements and recommend the right solution.
Related Resources
Get dedicated connectivity → Get a Leased Line Quote