The short answer: A leased line for a UK business typically costs about £200 to £400 a month for 100Mbps and £350 to £700 a month for 1Gbps, excluding VAT, on a three-year contract, according to published UK price guides. For 10Gbps, Selectra’s guide gives about £1,500 to £3,000 a month. Installation is often free on a 36 or 60-month contract, but if the carrier has to build new ducts or dig up a road to reach you, excess construction charges can add thousands of pounds. Our own leased lines start from £195 a month, excluding VAT, and every quote is for your exact address.
Last updated: 8 October 2026. Prices checked against UK leased line price guides published between January and October 2026. Leased line prices are quoted per address, so treat every figure here as a guide, not a quote.
In this guide
- What is a leased line?
- How much does a leased line cost per month?
- Installation and excess construction charges
- What affects the price?
- How long does installation take?
- Leased line vs full fibre broadband
- Can you get help with the cost?
- How to get an accurate quote
- Leased lines from ATS Connection
- Frequently asked questions
What is a leased line?
A leased line is a private fibre connection between your premises and your provider’s network that nobody else shares. You get the full speed you pay for in both directions, all day, and it comes with a business service level agreement that sets out how quickly faults must be fixed.
Leased lines usually differ from ordinary broadband in three ways:
- Dedicated. The capacity is yours alone, so speeds do not drop when the neighbours start streaming at five o’clock.
- Symmetric. Upload is as fast as download, which matters for cloud backups, video calls, large files and phone systems.
- Backed by a service level agreement. Faults are fixed against targets set out in the agreement, usually with compensation if they are missed.
That is what you are paying for. If your business runs on Microsoft 365, cloud software and internet phones, the connection has become as important as the electricity, and a leased line is how you make it dependable. Our guide to fibre broadband explains the cheaper options it is usually compared with.
How much does a leased line cost per month?
Published UK price guides put a leased line between 100Mbps and 1Gbps at about £200 to £700 a month, excluding VAT. The speed matters less than you might expect: in those guides, going from 100Mbps to 1Gbps costs less than double, partly because the cost of reaching your building is much the same whatever the speed.
Leased line prices, 2026
What a leased line costs each month, by speed
Indicative UK monthly leased line prices on a 36-month contract, excluding VAT and any excess construction charges, with business full fibre for comparison.
Business full fibre1Gbps, for comparison
Leased line100Mbps
Leased line500Mbps
Leased line1Gbps
Leased line10Gbps
Source: Selectra’s UK leased line price guide (accessed October 2026). Your own price depends on your address, the carrier and the contract length.
Different guides publish slightly different figures, so here are three side by side. They broadly agree:
| Speed | Selectra (36 months) | Business Broadband Hub (60 months) | Babble |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100Mbps | £200 to £400 | £175 to £312 | From around £200 |
| 500Mbps | £325 to £625 | £257 to £332 | Not given |
| 1Gbps | £350 to £700 | £300 to £450 | Typically from £300 |
| 10Gbps | £1,500 to £3,000 | Bespoke quotes (city estimates from £1,500) | Well above £1,000 |
You will also see much lower “from” prices advertised. Amvia, for example, shows 100Mbps from £69 a month and 1Gbps from £129, while quoting a wider range of up to about £400 and £700. Amvia says these are indicative and depend on your postcode and which carriers reach you, so treat them as a floor rather than an expectation.
Over a typical three-year contract, a 1Gbps line at £350 to £700 a month comes to roughly £12,600 to £25,200 before VAT. That is the number to compare with the cost of your team losing its connection for a day.
What does leased line installation cost?
On a three or five-year contract, standard installation is often included, and published guides commonly describe it as free on those terms. On a one-year contract, or where the line needs more work, expect a one-off charge. These are the costs that can sit on top of the monthly rental:
| Cost | Typical published range | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Installation or connection | Free to £3,000 for up to 1Gbps | Often waived on 36 or 60-month contracts |
| Excess construction charges | Nil to £10,000 or more | When new ducts, poles or roadworks are needed |
| Wayleave | Nil to £10,000 or more | When a landlord’s permission is needed to run fibre through their property |
| Router or other hardware | Nil to £200 | Often included by the provider |
| Backup connection | £20 to £80 a month | Optional, to keep you online if the leased line fails |
| Static IP addresses | £3 to £5 per address a month | Some providers include a set number |
What are excess construction charges?
Excess construction charges, often shortened to ECCs, are what a carrier charges when reaching your building costs more than its standard installation covers: new ducts, extra poles, a longer fibre run or roadworks. On new Openreach Ethernet Access Direct lines, Openreach absorbs the first part of that cost. In March 2026 it told providers it was raising that allowance from £2,800 to £3,680, excluding VAT, according to ISPreview.
In a city centre with fibre already in the street, ECCs are usually nil. On a rural site or a new-build estate they can be large: Selectra says £15,000 to £50,000. The important thing is when you find out. ECCs often only come to light after you have signed and the carrier has surveyed the route, so ask for a written ECC assessment, and how any ECC will be handled, before you sign.
What affects the price of a leased line?
Two businesses on the same street can be quoted different prices, because the price is worked out for each address. The main factors are:
- Distance to the nearest fibre. The closer your building is to an existing fibre point, the cheaper the line and the less risk of construction charges.
- Which carriers reach you. More competing networks at your address usually means keener prices.
- Speed. Faster lines cost more, but the jump from 100Mbps to 1Gbps is usually smaller than people expect.
- Contract length. Three and five-year terms usually bring lower monthly prices and free installation. One-year terms cost more on both.
- Resilience. A backup line, or a second leased line by a different route, adds cost but keeps you online when the main line fails.
- The service level agreement. Faster fix times and round-the-clock repair usually cost more than standard cover.
How long does a leased line take to install?
Plan for about 30 to 90 working days from order to going live, which is roughly six weeks to four months. Published UK guides put a typical installation in that range: Amvia says 30 to 90 working days, and Selectra says 45 to 90 working days for an established site, and six to nine months for some rural sites and business parks.
From order to live
How long a leased line takes to install
A typical order, step by step. The pink steps are where delays and extra costs often come from.
Step 1
Quote
The provider checks which carriers reach your address and prices the line.
Step 2
Order and survey
An engineer surveys the route into your building and where the equipment will go.
If needed
Excess construction charges
If new ducts, poles or roadworks are needed, the carrier may quote extra build costs after the survey.
Step 3
Build and permissions
Fibre is laid to your building. A landlord wayleave or a road permit can add weeks.
Step 4
Install, test and go live
Usually 30 to 90 working days after you order. Equipment is fitted, the line is tested and your network moves across.
The 30 to 90 working day range reflects figures published by UK providers and price guides in 2026. Rural sites and business parks that need new construction can take six months or more.
Delays usually come from the physical build: permits to dig, a landlord who has to sign a wayleave, or a blocked duct. If you are moving office or your current contract ends on a fixed date, order the leased line early and keep a broadband or 4G connection in place until it is live.
Leased line vs full fibre broadband: which do you need?
Full fibre broadband has narrowed the gap. It is fast and far cheaper, and for many small offices it is enough. The difference is in what happens at busy times, how fast you can upload, and what happens when it breaks.
| Leased line | Full fibre broadband | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Dedicated to you | Shared with other premises on the same part of the network |
| Upload speed | The same as download | Usually much lower than download |
| Repairs | Fix times set out in a service level agreement | Usually standard broadband support, without a financially backed service level agreement |
| Price for 1Gbps | About £350 to £700 a month, excluding VAT | About £30 to £50 a month for business plans |
| Time to install | Usually 30 to 90 working days | Usually much quicker where full fibre is already available |
As an example of the upload gap, the fastest consumer full fibre package that Openreach described in August 2024 offered 1.8Gbps download but 120Mbps upload, according to ISPreview. A leased line of 1Gbps gives you 1Gbps both ways.
A leased line is usually worth it when:
- A lost connection would stop the whole business, not just slow it down.
- Your phones run over the internet, as most business phones will once the old phone network closes. Our guide to the Big Switch Off in January 2027 explains the deadline.
- You upload a lot: cloud backups, large drawings or video, or many people on video calls at once.
- Many people rely on the same connection at once, or you link several sites together.
If that does not sound like you, full fibre broadband with a 4G or 5G backup is often the better value. Our business broadband page covers those options, and you can test your current broadband speed to see where you stand today.
Can you get help with the cost of a leased line?
Not through the main national scheme any more. The government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme closed to new voucher project submissions on 31 August 2026, according to GOV.UK, although projects already agreed can still be delivered. Some local authorities have run their own schemes, so it is worth checking with your council, but do not build a voucher into your budget.
The more reliable ways to cut the cost are a longer contract, choosing the speed you actually need rather than the fastest on offer, and getting quotes from providers that can use more than one carrier at your address.
How do you get an accurate leased line quote?
Because every price is worked out for one address, a useful quote needs a few details from you, and a few answers from the provider. Ask for these before you compare prices:
- The full address and postcode, including the floor or unit, so the right building is checked.
- Which carrier and which speed, and whether the speed can be increased later without a new installation.
- Installation charges, in writing, including what happens if excess construction charges come back after the survey.
- The service level agreement: the guaranteed fix time, whether it covers evenings and weekends, and any compensation if it is missed.
- What backup is included, if any, and what it costs to add.
- Who supports it day to day. When the internet stops, you want one number to call, not a carrier’s queue.
Leased lines from ATS Connection
We supply business leased lines at speeds up to 10Gbps, starting from £195 a month, excluding VAT. Every quote is for your exact address and sets out the installation timeline, so you know what you are getting before you commit, and we can add failover so your business stays online if the main line has a problem.
Because we are also an IT support company, the same team that supplies your line looks after the network, WiFi, phone system and computers that depend on it. When something stops working, you call one number and we find the fault, whichever part of the chain it is in. We have looked after businesses from Arundel since 2015, and today support more than 100 businesses from offices in Arundel and Chichester.
For a price for your building, request a leased line quote, or book a free IT review if you want a wider look at whether your connection, network and phones are ready for the next few years.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a leased line cost per month in the UK?
Published UK price guides put a 100Mbps leased line at about £200 to £400 a month and a 1Gbps line at about £350 to £700 a month, excluding VAT, on a three-year contract. For 10Gbps, one guide gives about £1,500 to £3,000 a month. The exact price depends on your address.
Is leased line installation free?
Standard installation is often included on 36 or 60-month contracts. Shorter contracts usually carry a one-off installation charge, and excess construction charges apply if the carrier has to build new ducts, poles or roadworks to reach you.
What are excess construction charges?
Excess construction charges are extra costs a carrier passes on when reaching your building needs more work than standard installation covers, such as new ducts or roadworks. They are usually nil in city centres but can run into thousands of pounds on rural sites, and are often confirmed after a site survey.
How long does a leased line take to install?
Typically 30 to 90 working days from order, which is roughly six weeks to four months. Sites that need new construction, wayleaves or road permits can take six months or more.
Is a leased line worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when losing the connection would stop the business, when phones and key systems run over the internet, or when you upload a lot of data. For a small office without those needs, full fibre broadband with a 4G or 5G backup is often better value.
What is the difference between a leased line and fibre broadband?
A leased line is dedicated to your business, has the same upload and download speed, and comes with fix times set out in a service level agreement. Full fibre broadband is shared with other premises, usually uploads much more slowly than it downloads, and is repaired on broadband terms, but costs far less.
Sources
- Selectra: Leased lines 2026, UK prices and providers
- Business Broadband Hub: Leased line broadband prices 2026
- Babble: How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026?
- Amvia: Leased lines UK, compare costs and providers
- ISPreview: Openreach increases Ethernet exemption from excess construction charges (March 2026)
- ISPreview: Openreach plan to launch symmetric 1Gbps FTTP broadband (August 2024)
- GOV.UK: Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information
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