What Are the Benefits of an Internet Leased Line?
Most businesses are dependent on internet connection. Today, without a proper internet connection, very few businesses can carry out their daily operations. Be it connecting with a client or working on a project, researching data or maintaining records, you need the internet to conduct business. For many businesses, like e-commerce sites or content firms, the internet serves as the bloodline. As such, it is crucial to explore the different internet options and opt for the one that suits your needs and budget well. With so many organisations and businesses dependent on the IT infrastructure, it is no wonder having accessibility to quick and reliable internet connection is becoming an increasingly important component of daily operations. We depend on an internet connection for nearly everything, may it be answering a phone, using innovative cloud-linked technology, or responding to emails. Without a reliable internet network, your small organisation witnesses the risk of lowered productivity and extended downtime. For many, even a minute interruption may create a dramatic impact on profitability.
If your internet is not providing security, speed, or reliability as per your need, then you may want to upgrade to an internet leased line. A leased line connection offers maximum bandwidth as well as symmetrical download that allows businesses the connection it requires to nurture growth as well as boost productivity.
So, what is meant by an internet leased line? And what are the crucial benefits of implementing it in your business operations?
What is an internet leased line?
An internet leased line is a high-capacity fibre connection that is supplied by an internet service provider generally through a professional information technology support company. As suggested by the name, an internet leased line is specifically leased to your company.
What are the advantages of using an internet leased line?
With a lot of small businesses routing towards leased line networks, you might wonder if this upgrade is worth the hassle. So, why do small businesses tend to implement internet leased lines and what are the benefits?
Dedicated internet connection –
The major benefit of an internet leased line is that it’s a dedicated internet network, meaning you will not require sharing your precious bandwidth with other organisations or private households. In contrast, a traditional broadband network is often shared between various businesses or/and residential homes.
As an outcome, with internet leased lines your bandwidth will not fluctuate during peak times. In simpler words, the internet will not slow down or crash on days when the usage of the internet is the highest.
Service level agreements (SLA) –
The next benefit of the internet leased line is the SLA or service level agreements. Such agreements dictate the minimal service level that you can expect from the provider. Also, they outline compensation on offer, in times of any fault. Thus, if you have any problem that is not corrected instantly, you must be aware of the compensation to expect. Many internet networks offer limited compensation, on the occasion of any problem.
Higher upload speeds –
As suggested by the name, an internet leased line is exclusively leased to you as well as your business. This means usage during peak hours will have zero impact on the reliability or speed of the internet network. When companies consider using internet service, they seldom consider the upload speed. Domestic internet services usually have much higher download speeds than upload speeds. With an internet leased line, however, such speeds are usually identical, which is of massive benefit. Upload speed shows how swiftly you can transfer data. The higher your upload speed, the more efficient the overall connection. In the workspace, it means it is simpler to access data on the servers, send emails and make VoIP calls.
Upload speeds and symmetrical download
One of the important benefits of an internet leased line is symmetrical download as well as upload speeds. It means you as well as your team have complete access to a secure and stable internet network that will not crash or slow down during peak hours or bandwidth-intensive usages like a VoIP call or offsite data backup.
In-built scalability
An internet leased line is a highly scalable and adaptable connection that grows with small businesses. In a fast-paced world where data consumption and generation are rising rapidly, an internet leased line permits businesses to steadily scale their bandwidth and data usage as per their needs and demands.
An internet leased line even permits the business to swiftly implement bandwidth-intensive services that assist the company to effectively grow, nurture and flourish. As the business grows, the services like VoIP telephony and offsite backup become necessary too. An internet leased line delivers the internet network that you need to implement innovative and bandwidth-hungry solutions.
What are the drawbacks of an internet leased line?
While you may believe that an internet leased line has various benefits for small enterprises, they do come with certain drawbacks. Owing to the benefits of internet leased lines, there’s a noticeable difference in price too when compared with alternative internet networks. All internet leased lines cost more.
An internet leased line also needs a site survey. Conducting a site survey makes it possible to offer a leased line connection. In metropolitan regions, such site surveys are not generally a problem. Other than waiting for a few weeks, results are positive with minimum additional expenses, if any. But for rural businesses, it may at times result in problems. If infrastructure is not available in your area, there’s a cost incurred to make the same available. It often is a hefty amount.
Is an internet leased line worth opting for?
Businesses for sure will benefit from an internet leased line. But if you are still in doubt, it is necessary for you to assess the daily operations in your present state. Does your current business internet satisfy your needs? Or is your team witnessing any constant downtime or disruption as an outcome of unreliable connection?
Now take a good look at the digital components and the IT infrastructure in your business operations. It is also crucial to factor in your workforce and consider if your operations are benefitting as compared to the optimal productivity. An internet leased line may be a good idea for companies with the following –
- A regular transference of data like offsite backup
- A centralised office with a huge workforce
- Bandwidth-centric services like VoIP telephony
Conclusion
An internet leased line is important if a company uses or would want to introduce a bandwidth-intensive service in daily operations like scheduled offsite backup or VoIP telephony. It basically endows small businesses a lot of instant capacity with room to grow.