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What Is a CityFibre Leased Line?
A CityFibre leased line uses business Ethernet access on the CityFibre network to connect a site. It is typically considered when an organisation needs defined bandwidth commitments and contractual service support, rather than simply the highest advertised broadband download speed. The complete service depends on the provider’s quote and network design.
What does a leased line provide?
Business Ethernet can provide dedicated access capacity with matching upload and download rates. The order should specify the service bandwidth, interface, handoff equipment and whether managed internet access is included. A physical connection and a complete managed internet service are not interchangeable descriptions.
Dedicated access does not mean that every destination on the public internet has unlimited capacity. Remote servers, applications and other networks can still affect end-to-end performance.
How is it different from FTTP broadband?
FTTP describes fibre reaching the premises. Business and residential broadband can use that technology, and some broadband packages also offer symmetric speeds. Symmetry alone therefore does not make a service a leased line.
The more useful comparison is the bandwidth commitment, access design, support, repair targets and contract terms. Broadband may suit a business with modest requirements; Ethernet may suit a site where predictable capacity and the service agreement justify the cost.
Read the service agreement carefully
Check how availability is measured, how faults are reported, the repair target, any exclusions and the remedy if a target is missed. A service-level agreement sets contractual obligations and remedies; it does not promise that an outage is impossible.
Ask which equipment and network components are covered, and whether support hours match the hours your business operates. Use the terms supplied with your quotation rather than assuming every CityFibre-based service has identical retail guarantees.
Choose bandwidth around the business workload
Consider concurrent users, cloud applications, voice and video, backups and large uploads. Measure existing traffic where possible, then allow appropriate headroom. Check the upgrade process and any contractual or equipment changes required to increase capacity.
If you are considering a committed rate with burst headroom, read our CityFibre Ethernet Flex explainer. That guide covers the distinction between committed and peak bandwidth.
Installation and resilience need their own plan
Delivery can depend on a site survey, construction, permissions and access to the building. Confirm these dependencies and any additional charges before treating a requested date as a firm installation commitment.
For a critical site, discuss backup connectivity, power and failover. Two connections are not necessarily independent if they share the same physical route or equipment. Ask how the proposed design addresses the failures that matter to your business.
What to prepare for a quotation
Provide the full site address, current and expected bandwidth needs, key applications, preferred term and resilience requirements. Exascale can use those details to assess availability and the appropriate business connectivity options.
See Exascale leased-line services to discuss a business connection and request a quote.
Looking for a home connection instead? Use our CityFibre broadband packages page. This article covers business leased-line considerations rather than residential offers.
