EFM Vs Leased Lines

While growing businesses should always consider leased lines when upgrading their connection, it’s important to realise that not every company needs a leased line. In many cases, smaller companies especially may find that other products, such as ethernet first mile, completely meet their requirements.

But just how does ethernet first mile stand up against the competition? Let’s compare ethernet first mile with leased lines to get a better understanding of how the products differ in what they can offer:

When we compare ethernet first mile and leased lines, what we’re most interested in is speed, reliability, service level agreement (SLA), contention, latency, and price. So how does ethernet first mile fare?

EFM and Leased Line: The differences

EFM (Ethernet first mile) is a reliable, low-cost service suitable for many businesses. It uses copper wires to deliver high-speed internet access from the nearest Ethernet-enabled exchange point, whereas a Leased Line is a dedicated fibre connection that is provided directly between the provider and the customer’s premises.

Speed

Download speeds/Upload speeds for EFM’s range between 2Mbps to 35Mbps, the reason being is that copper cannot exceed speeds of 35Mbps because it simply isn’t capable. Your speed can also be affected by the distance you are the exchange point, the future away you are, the slower it’ll be. This is because the resistance on a copper line increases the longer a signal has to travel. Phone lines also utilise coper.

If your business requires speeds higher than 35Mbps, then a different solution would be better for you. On the other hand, smaller businesses with minuscule speed requirements will benefit immensely from this type of internet connectivity.

Leased Line speeds range anywhere between 10Mbps and 10Gbps. You can pick any speed between those ranges that your company requires, either between 10Mbps-100Mbps, going up in 10mbps increments, 100Mbps-1Gbps, going up in 100Mbps increments, or 1Gbps-10Gbps, going up in 1GB increments.

Symmetrical bandwidth is another benefit of Leased Lines and EFM, meaning upload/download speed is the same.

Reliability

With both connections, bandwidth is guaranteed, so speeds remain reliable at all times. With EFM’s it runs on copper pairs, this means if one of the pairs fails then the other pair will take over, meaning the connection will never go down. If one pair goes down your line will run at a slower speed though, which could hinder some businesses.

Ethernet First Mile (EFM) and Leased lines reliability are also achievable because you’re the only user on the line, so cutting out/lower speeds due to peak times will not be an issue. This is a major positive for companies that require 24/7 data connectivity to function and have mission-critical technology.

With Leased lines speed will not decrease over distance as fibre doesn’t degrade, meaning wherever you are in the UK you will get the speed you’ve requested. Whereas with EFM the speed will degrade over distance, this is because the resistance on copper lines is increased the further the signal has to travel.

SLA

On EFM’s line faults are usually fixed within 7 hours, but this depends on the provider. With Leased lines, the max fix time is 5 hours usually, again this depends on the provider. This fix time is essential for businesses who hugely rely on the internet. There is an array of other benefits that come with a service level agreement, but each provider will tailor theirs differently.

With EFM and Leased lines, another benefit is guaranteed speeds, which is perfect for all businesses. If these factors are not up to standard then your company might be able to claim compensation.

Contention

1:1 contention ratio, meaning an uncontended, dedicated connection. Being the only user on the line means dropping out/lowered speeds at peak times is a problem of the past. Having a dedicated connection also slightly lowers the risk of your data being intercepted, improving security.

The above statement applies to both EFM’s and Leased lines. But in terms of security on a dedicated connection, Leased lines are slightly more secure because it’s harder to intercept data on fibre lines due to the speed to data is moving.

Latency

Both data connections often have ultra-low latency, with a target of under 20 milliseconds. Latency purely means the time taken to send information, so the lower the latency the better. Having a lower latency will make sending data easier and more efficient, which is essential for time-critical ventures.

The Latency on dedicated lines is lower because there is no interference from other users. Low latency is ideal for core networks within a business.

Broadband, on the other hand, can be affected by high latency. High latency can be caused by the line having too many users, downtime, or poor physical connection. So, if low latency is essential for your business then a dedicated line is the way to go.

Price

EFM’s start from around £120 per month, this can vary depending on the provider, speed required, and distance from the exchange. To find the best price for an EFM it’s always best to compare many different providers to find the best suited for your company, the easiest way to do this is to run a free and impartial comparison with us.

Leased Lines start from around £150-£200 per month, this again depends on the provider, speed required, and distance from the exchange. Excess construction charges can also heighten the price, to find out if you have ECC’s the provider would need to run a site survey.

One factor that could make Leased lines slightly cheaper is the Government voucher scheme. This was implemented by the government to encourage businesses to purchase a dedicated connection. Before you’re entitled to this, you’d need to meet a few requirements, such as purchasing a line over 100Mbps, and being a UK registered business.

Lead times

The lead time of both these internet solutions different quite a bit. EFM’s take around 30 working days to be installed, this is depended on the provider and if they incur any obstacles. Whereas, Leased line take around 90 days to get installed, which is significantly longer.

So when we compare ethernet first mile to leased lines, we can easily see that it fares pretty well. In terms of reliability, contention, and latency, there appears to be remarkably little difference between the two products. The only differences are really noted in the speed spectrum, and in terms of SLA. This makes ethernet first mile a good, cost-effective alternative to leased lines for smaller businesses.

Smaller businesses should be encouraged to compare ethernet first mile providers if they’re looking to upgrade from business broadband but do not want to commit to a full leased line. It’s easy to compare ethernet first mile providers at Leased Line Comparison, making it quick and simple to upgrade.

So when we compare ethernet first mile to leased lines, we can easily see that it fares pretty well. In terms of reliability, contention, and latency, there appears to be remarkably little difference between the two products. The only differences are really noted in the speed spectrum, and in terms of SLA. This makes ethernet first mile a good, cost-effective alternative to leased lines for smaller businesses.

Smaller businesses should be encouraged to compare ethernet first mile providers if they’re looking to upgrade from business broadband but do not want to commit to a full leased line. It’s easy to compare ethernet first mile providers at Leased Line Comparison, making it quick and simple to upgrade.