Out of Contract on Your Leased Line? Check What It Should Cost Now
When a leased line passes its minimum term, most carry on at the old rental until someone gives notice. Here is how to tell if you are overpaying, when to renegotiate, when to switch, and how to time it without a gap in service.
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Key Facts
Quick answer
When a leased line passes its minimum term it usually keeps running at the same rental until you give notice, and most businesses never do: 58.4% of the live circuits tracked in the AMVIA connectivity corpus are past their minimum contract term (n=1,338, as of 8 August 2026). Out of contract is the best moment to cut the price or lift the speed, either by renegotiating with a competing quote or by switching to a carrier already on-net at your building.
Your Three Options at Contract End
| Feature | Stay on rolling termsDo nothing | RenegotiateSame carrier, new term | Switch carrierNew circuit, new contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | Usually the rental you signed years ago | Today's price for your postcode, if you push with a competing quote | Today's best price from whichever carrier is on-net at your building |
| Effort | None | Low - one competing quote and a conversation | Medium - a new order, survey and install |
| Risk of downtime | None | None - the circuit stays as it is | Low if old and new lines overlap; high if you cease first |
| Lead time | Immediate | Days to weeks | Weeks to months - a new circuit has to be built |
| Can you upgrade speed? | Not without a new contract | Often, at little extra cost on the same fibre | Yes - order the speed you need now |
| Makes sense when | You are moving out soon and need short notice | Your carrier is competitive at your postcode | Another carrier is on-net and much cheaper, or your SLA no longer fits |
Renegotiate or Switch?
Renegotiate if...
Your current carrier's service has been good, the circuit already gives you the speed you need, and a competing quote shows the gap is modest. Carriers will often cut the rental or lift the speed to keep a customer, but rarely without being asked.
Switch if...
A carrier already on-net at your building quotes far below your current rental, your SLA or support has let you down, or you need a speed your current carrier cannot deliver. Order the new line before you give notice so the two overlap.
How to tell if you are overpaying
Find three numbers: your current monthly rental, the date your minimum term ended, and the speed you are on. If the term ended more than a year ago, or your rental is well above the from-prices for your speed (100Mbps from about £69 and 1Gbps from about £129 a month on 36-month terms where a carrier is on-net), you are very likely paying more than your postcode is quoted today. A fresh quote from every carrier near your building is the only way to know the real gap.
The AMVIA Recommendation
The AMVIA Recommendation
Start four to six months before your term ends, or now if it already has. Get quotes from every carrier near your postcode, then decide: take the best quote to your current carrier, or switch to whichever carrier is cheapest on-net. Order any new line before you give notice, so the old one stays live until the new one is in. We do the quoting, show you the like-for-like prices side by side, and tell you when staying put is the better deal.
Check my renewal priceMost leased lines are already out of contract
58.4% of the live circuits tracked in the AMVIA connectivity corpus are past their minimum contract term (n=1,338 circuits, as of 8 August 2026). A circuit that has rolled past its term is usually still paying the rental it was sold at, while carriers have built new fibre and prices at many postcodes have moved since. The carrier has no reason to raise it with you, so the saving sits there until someone asks.
Step 1: find your contract position
Look for four things in your contract or your last invoice: the minimum term and its start date, the current monthly rental, the notice period, and any automatic renewal clause. If the term has already ended you are free to renegotiate or switch once your notice runs out. If it ends in the next six months, now is the time to start.
Step 2: get today's price for your building
Leased line prices are set by which carriers already have fibre near your premises, so the only useful benchmark is a fresh quote for your postcode from every carrier that can serve it. Compare like for like: same speed, same SLA, same term. The leased line cost guide shows what UK businesses are quoted by speed band, and the pricing index has the regional detail and the methodology.
Step 3: renegotiate or switch
If your current carrier is competitive at your postcode, take the best quote to them and ask them to match it or lift your speed at the same rental. If another carrier is on-net and well below your rental, or your service has not been good enough, switch.
Step 4: time the switch so there is no gap
A new carrier usually means a new circuit. Delivered 1Gbps circuits ordered between 2023 and 2025 took a median of 78 days from order to live (n=101, as of 8 August 2026). Order the new line first, run both for a short overlap, move your network across, then give notice on the old one. Never cease the old line until the new one is live and tested.
What to ask for at renewal
Renewal is when you have the most leverage. Ask for a lower rental, a speed upgrade on the same fibre, a stronger fix-time SLA, a managed router refresh and a static IP block included in the price. A shorter or more flexible term can also be worth more than a small discount if you might move premises.
Check today's price for your building
Enter your business postcode and the speed you have now - we check every carrier with fibre nearby and show you what the same line costs today.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most contracts the line keeps running on the same terms and rental after the minimum term, until you or the carrier give notice. That is why so many circuits drift: 58.4% of the live circuits in the AMVIA corpus are past their minimum term (n=1,338, as of 8 August 2026). Check your contract for automatic renewal clauses, because some roll into a new fixed term if you miss the notice window.
It depends on your contract - notice periods of one to three months are common, and some contracts renew automatically for a further term if you miss the window. Check the termination clause before your minimum term ends, and diarise the notice date.
Not if you plan it. A switch usually means a new circuit, so order it first, run both lines side by side for a short overlap, move your network across, then give notice on the old line. Ceasing the old line before the new one is live is what causes outages.
Usually, and it is often cheap. Once the fibre is in place, lighting it at a higher speed costs the carrier little, so a renewal is the best moment to ask for more bandwidth on the same or a lower rental.
Plan on a few months. A switch usually needs a new circuit, and delivered 1Gbps circuits ordered between 2023 and 2025 took a median of 78 days from order to live (n=101, as of 8 August 2026). On-net buildings land at the short end; sites that need new construction take longer. Start four to six months before your term ends.
Often, yes, if you bring a competing quote. Carriers keep out-of-contract customers on old rentals because few ask; a like-for-like quote from a carrier on-net at your building gives you a concrete number to negotiate against.
Check What Your Leased Line Should Cost Now
Tell us your postcode and current speed. We check every carrier near your building and show you today's prices side by side, so you can renegotiate or switch with real numbers. Typically within 24 hours, no obligation.
Related Resources
Business Leased Line Cost Guide
What UK businesses are quoted for a leased line today, by speed, with dated market data.
Cheapest Leased Line UK
Where the lowest prices come from and how to avoid construction charges.
UK Leased Line Providers Compared
Who is on-net where, SLAs and pricing across UK carriers.
UK Business Connectivity Pricing Index
Dated, sampled leased line pricing data with the full methodology.
How Long Does a Leased Line Take to Install?
Timescales from order to live service, and how to plan around them.