Leased line for home users

There’s no denying that the super-fast, super reliable leased lines of today are primarily designed for businesses, but do they have a place in the home, too? Well, that’s a question that’s not quite as simple to answer as it seems.

On the surface, it’s easy to say that a leased line for the home is ‘overkill’; that even bandwidth-eating services like Netflix can work well even with a standard ADSL connection. However, if we delve a little deeper, we can see that the way we use the internet at home is changing.

Fibre Ethernet internet access gives employees symmetrical upload and download speeds, enabling them to access cloud services faster & more securely than any standard internet connection. It’s not always seen as the most cost-effective, especially as many home users will need to pay to install depending on the contract term.

You are able to secure help with installation costs using the gigabit voucher scheme, if applicable. However, if you are considering leased line for home you are likely to have to put it through a registered company or pay some kind of upfront cost.

Working From Home

Broadband has succeeded in creating an ‘always on’ culture. Now, this is certainly a very controversial debate, but let’s gloss over that right now; love it or hate it, the ‘always on’ culture is what we have. This culture means that more than half of us now check work emails at home, lengthening the average workday and expanding it beyond the confines of the office.

Despite the average employee working from home just 4 days per month, they’d opt for this more frequently if they had the technology to do so.

The past 5 years have also seen the rise in employers recognising that employees can be more productive when allowed freedom to work from home. It certainly has its benefits & is likely to be adopted more by the millennial’s as they start businesses.

There are many other benefits to working from home other than just productivity. These can include employee freedom, meaning employees are free to work whenever and where ever it suits them. Also, it is cheaper for the business, because you no longer need to rent office space because you’ll have remote workers.

Because there are no other workers around you that means there are zero distractions, this can help improve productivity. Working from home can also increase staff morale, which again, in turn, can improve productivity. There is so many benefits to working from home, this is why so many businesses are starting to adopt this way of working.

You’re Only as Fast as Your Internet

If there’s a place you want to work quickly, it’s at home. Overtime away from the office is not a time when you want to be waiting around for email synchronisation or buffering. However, you can only work as fast your internet allows, which does beg the question ‘is a leased line suitable for the home?’.

Speedwise, a domestic leased line probably isn’t a requirement, but as we know a leased line isn’t just about speed; a leased line is about reliability, which is something domestic broadband is severely lacking.

The most common leased line for home we see installed is for a CEO or business owner who needs a stable connection when they work remotely. We usually only see it when they have exhausted other options as a leased line cost can be prohibitive.

Its also easy to overlook a niche remote worker that depends on reliable internet- the professional gamer/YouTuber. Pewdiepie is one of the most famous and currently earns a staggering £15million a year!

Domestic Leased Lines

Choosing to install a domestic leased line is not a decision that should be taken lightly, and it isn’t a solution that would suit all home workers. However, businesses that do permit home working for members of staff who are integral to day-to-day operations may wish to consider such an approach to connectivity in the future.

The main points to keep in mind is that most leased line providers will only sell to businesses, so home users may struggle to find a provider or be asked to pay the contract upfront. Keep in mind that contracts are 36 months as standard so a £300 a month 100Mb leased line would be over £10,000 to pay upfront. That’s also not including any Excess Construction charges that may apply.

The best way to get a good deal on a leased line for home use is by doing a comparison. We compare some of the UK’s best leased line providers to get you the most competitive quote on the market & have helped thousands of home users find their best connectivity options.