UK Leased Line Providers Compared: BT, Virgin, CityFibre and the Alt-Nets
BT, Virgin Media Business, CityFibre, Vodafone, TalkTalk Business, Colt and Zayo all sell dedicated connectivity — with different networks, pricing postures and strengths. This is a genuinely balanced comparison, plus the case for comparing all of them at once.
The UK Leased Line Market
Quick answer
There is no single best UK leased line provider — the right one depends on which networks reach your postcode. BT/Openreach has the widest coverage, Virgin Media Business is strong where its network runs, and alt-nets like CityFibre often undercut both (1Gbps from £129/month) in the cities they serve. Comparing all of them for your exact address routinely beats any single provider's rate card.
BT vs Virgin Media Business vs CityFibre: At a Glance
| Feature | BT / OpenreachWidest coverage | Virgin Media BusinessOwn national network | CityFibre (alt-net)Often cheapest where present |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network model | Openreach access network, sold direct and via resellers | Own cable and fibre network | Wholesale full-fibre, sold via partners |
| Coverage | Broadest UK reach, including rural | Strong in urban and suburban areas | Expanding city footprints |
| Published 100Mbps–1Gbps pricing seen in the market | £200–£600/mo direct | from £69 (100Mbps) / £129 (1Gbps) | 1Gbps from £129/mo via partners |
| Uptime SLA | 99.95%–99.99% | 99.95%–99.99% | 99.95%–99.99% |
| Typical install lead time | 30–90 working days | 30–90 working days | 30–90 working days |
| Best suited to | Sites outside alt-net footprints; multi-site estates | Postcodes on or near its network | City-centre SMEs chasing value |
When Each Provider Tends to Win
BT / Openreach wins when...
Your site sits outside the alt-net and Virgin footprints, you need one carrier across many locations, or rural reach matters. You pay for that coverage — BT direct is rarely the cheapest quote in well-served areas.
Virgin Media Business wins when...
Its network already runs close to your premises. On-net Virgin pricing is aggressive — from £69/month for 100Mbps — and installs are quicker where no new construction is needed.
CityFibre and the alt-nets win when...
You're in one of their expanding city footprints. Wholesale alt-net fibre sold via partners is frequently the sharpest 1Gbps price in the market — from £129/month — with modern networks built for symmetric business traffic.
Vodafone, TalkTalk Business, Colt and Zayo...
Round out the market: Vodafone and TalkTalk Business resell competitively over Openreach and CityFibre, while Colt and Zayo focus on high-capacity metro and enterprise circuits in major cities.
Why the same circuit gets such different quotes
UK leased line pricing spans roughly £69 to £1,200+ per month across speeds and regions, with install charges from £0 to £2,500. The spread isn't the product — it's the distance from each provider's existing fibre to your building. That's why the cheapest provider on one street is the most expensive two streets away, and why a multi-carrier comparison for your exact postcode routinely saves money over any single rate card.
Get a multi-carrier quoteThe AMVIA Recommendation
The AMVIA Recommendation
Don't pick a provider — pick a postcode-first comparison. AMVIA is network-agnostic: we query BT Openreach, Virgin Media Business, CityFibre, Zayo and others for your exact address, then present the strongest option on price, install time and SLA together. In our experience comparing quotes, businesses switching from a default BT renewal typically save 15–35%. One provider relationship, every network compared.
Compare providers for your postcodeAsk five UK businesses who their leased line is "with" and you'll hear five brand names — BT, Virgin, Vodafone, TalkTalk, or a reseller they found on Google. Underneath, most circuits ride one of a handful of physical networks, and the brand on the invoice matters far less than whose fibre actually reaches the building. This comparison sets out how the market really fits together, using the same postcode-first logic we apply on our business leased lines hub.
How the UK leased line market is actually structured
Three layers matter. First, the network owners: Openreach (BT's access network), Virgin Media Business's own cable-and-fibre estate, and the alt-nets — CityFibre being the largest — building full-fibre city footprints. Second, the direct sellers: BT, Virgin and enterprise players like Colt and Zayo selling circuits on networks they control. Third, the resellers and aggregators — Vodafone, TalkTalk Business and many others — selling over Openreach, CityFibre and more, often at sharper prices than the network owner's direct channel.
The practical consequence: the same 1Gbps circuit to the same building can carry several different prices depending on who sells it and whose network it rides. Wholesale networks like Openreach and CityFibre can't be bought directly at all — a partner has to sell them to you.
Where each provider is strong
BT/Openreach is the coverage play. If your site is rural, or you need one carrier relationship across a multi-site estate, BT's reach is genuinely hard to match — that's what you're paying for when BT direct quotes £200–£600/month for circuits that alt-nets price from £129 in the cities. Virgin Media Business is aggressive where its own network runs: from £69/month for 100Mbps on-net, with quicker installs where no construction is needed. CityFibre and the alt-nets are the value story of the 2020s — modern symmetric fibre, expanding footprints, and 1Gbps from £129/month via partners. Colt and Zayo serve high-capacity metro and enterprise requirements in major cities, and matter most at 10Gbps and above.
Why comparing beats choosing
Leased line pricing is engineered per address: UK pricing spans roughly £69 to £1,200+ per month across speeds and regions, with install charges from £0 to £2,500 and excess construction charges possible where fibre must be built. Each provider prices from where its fibre already runs relative to your building — so provider league tables are close to meaningless at the level of a single postcode. The provider that wins on your street may lose two streets away.
That's the whole case for a network-agnostic comparison: query every carrier with fibre near your premises, surface construction charges before contract, and weigh price against install time and SLA repair terms together. It's how we quote — and it's why businesses coming off a default BT renewal typically save 15–35% in our experience. Start with the full UK cost breakdown or go straight to a multi-carrier quote for your postcode.
What to compare beyond price
- SLA repair terms: uptime percentages look identical (99.95%–99.99% across the market); mean time to repair and service credits are where products differ.
- Install lead time: everyone works to 30–90 working days, but a provider already on-net at your building lands at the short end — often the real tiebreaker.
- Construction charges: get them surfaced in writing before you sign, whoever you buy from.
- Security: a dedicated circuit is a direct path into your network — factor in leased line security whoever provides the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no universal best — it depends on which networks reach your postcode. BT/Openreach has the widest coverage, Virgin Media Business prices aggressively on its own network, and alt-nets like CityFibre are frequently cheapest in the cities they serve. The provider with fibre closest to your building usually wins on both price and install time, which is why a postcode-level comparison beats brand loyalty.
Often, but not always. BT direct pricing for 100Mbps–1Gbps circuits has commonly sat in the £200–£600/month range, while alt-net routes start from £129/month for 1Gbps where available. In our experience, businesses comparing the market rather than renewing with BT by default typically save 15–35% — but at rural sites BT is sometimes the only realistic option, and coverage is worth paying for.
SLAs are broadly similar on paper — typically 99.95%–99.99% uptime with defined fix times — but the detail differs: mean time to repair, service credits, and how faults are prioritised vary by provider and product. Compare the repair commitment, not just the uptime percentage. A 99.99% SLA with a 5-hour fix is a different product from one with a 24-hour fix.
Generally no — both are wholesale networks sold through partners and resellers. That's precisely why the reseller market exists and why prices for the same underlying circuit vary between sellers. A network-agnostic partner compares the wholesale routes and the reseller pricing at once, so you see the best route to your building rather than one seller's margin.
Going direct gets you one network's price for your postcode. A network-agnostic partner queries every carrier with fibre near your building — including routes you can't buy directly, like CityFibre wholesale — and manages the install and faults through one relationship. Unless you already know which network is closest to your premises, comparison first is the safer default.
All providers work to the same physics: 30–90 working days from order to live service, depending on whether fibre already reaches your building. Where a provider is already on-net at your premises, installs land at the shorter end. This is often the tiebreaker between two similar quotes — ask every provider for a firm date in writing.
Compare Every Provider for Your Postcode
AMVIA queries BT Openreach, Virgin Media Business, CityFibre, Zayo and more for your exact address — one comparison, every network, typically within 24 hours. No obligation.
Related Resources
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1Gbps Leased Line Costs
Gigabit dedicated fibre from £129/month — regional pricing and cost drivers.
100Mbps Leased Line Costs
Entry-tier dedicated fibre from £69/month — regional pricing and who it suits.
Business Leased Lines
The full AMVIA leased line hub — costs, providers, SLAs and security.
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