Leased line cost UK — the honest 2026 price breakdown
What businesses actually pay per month, install fees, hidden ECCs, and how to shave 20–40% off any quote. Independent, no sales pitch.
How much does a leased line cost?
The short answer for a UK SME: £200 to £1,200 per month, depending on speed and location. The long answer is that leased line pricing is one of the most opaque markets in UK business telecoms — the same 200 Mbps circuit into the same building can be quoted at £280/mo by one carrier and £520/mo by another, using identical Openreach infrastructure.
Below is a real-world price breakdown, followed by the specific line items that push quotes up or down. All prices are ex-VAT and assume a 36-month term (the most common contract length).
Monthly cost by bandwidth
| Bandwidth | Low quote | Typical | High quote | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | £195/mo | £265/mo | £380/mo | 10–25 users |
| 200 Mbps | £280/mo | £395/mo | £560/mo | 25–50 users |
| 500 Mbps | £430/mo | £620/mo | £850/mo | 50–100 users |
| 1 Gbps | £620/mo | £850/mo | £1,250/mo | 100+ users, on-site hosting |
| 10 Gbps | £1,800/mo | £2,600/mo | £4,500/mo | Data centres, ISPs, large sites |
Prices ex-VAT, 36-month term, urban UK postcode within 2km of a fibre aggregation node. Source: aggregated 2025 quotes across 20+ UK carriers.
What actually drives the price
How to cut 20–40% off any leased line quote
- • Get at least 3 quotes on identical spec (same speed, same term, same SLA). The spread is almost always £150+ per month.
- • Ask for the "bearer 1 Gbps, port to spec" configuration — future-proofs the line without the full 1 Gbps price.
- • Push back on ECCs. Carriers can absorb them into monthly rental if your term is 36+ months.
- • Time your renewal. Wholesale leased line pricing drops 8–15% each year. If you're mid-contract on a legacy price, an early renewal at a new lower rate + extended term often pays for itself.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a leased line cost per month in the UK?
For a typical UK SME, expect £200–£350/mo for 100 Mbps, £300–£500/mo for 200 Mbps, £500–£800/mo for 500 Mbps, and £700–£1,200/mo for a full 1 Gbps circuit. Prices depend heavily on your postcode, distance from the nearest fibre aggregation point, and any excess construction charges (ECCs) required.
Why do leased line quotes vary so much between providers?
Every provider uses the same underlying Openreach or Cityfibre infrastructure in most postcodes, but marks up the wholesale cost differently, bundles support and hardware differently, and applies different contract lengths (3 vs 5 years). Getting 3+ quotes routinely saves 20–40% on the same bandwidth.
Are there any upfront or install costs?
Most providers waive install fees on 3-year contracts. On a 12-month term you may pay a £1,000–£2,500 install charge. If your building needs new fibre pulled from the road, expect ECCs of £2,000–£15,000+ — but these are usually spread across the contract term or waived on longer deals.
Is a leased line cheaper than multiple standard broadband lines?
For 10+ users relying on cloud tools, hosted VoIP or video conferencing, yes. A single 200 Mbps leased line at £400/mo typically replaces 2–3 FTTP lines plus the productivity cost of contention, packet loss and unpredictable upload speeds.
How long is a typical leased line contract?
Standard terms are 12, 36 or 60 months. 36 months is the sweet spot — you get most of the discount versus a 60-month lock-in, and pricing typically resets lower at renewal as wholesale costs fall.
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Compared against 20+ UK providers · Independent · No sales spam