Leased Line Price Comparison: Compare UK Providers

Why Leased Line Prices Vary Between Providers

Leased lines are not a commodity product in the way that consumer broadband is. Two providers quoting for a 100Mbps circuit at the same address are not necessarily quoting the same thing — they may be using different underlying physical networks, different SLA frameworks, and different installation approaches. Understanding why prices differ helps you compare quotes fairly rather than simply choosing the cheapest number on the page.

The Main UK Leased Line Networks

Openreach

Openreach is BT's network infrastructure arm and operates the widest fibre network in the UK. Most ISPs — including BT Business, Vodafone, TalkTalk Business, and many others — can provision leased lines over Openreach infrastructure. The wholesale price from Openreach is a floor below which ISPs cannot go, but the retail price varies depending on the ISP's own margin, SLA uplift, and bundled services. In areas where Openreach is the only available network, prices tend to be at the higher end of the market.

CityFibre

CityFibre operates a growing full-fibre network across 285+ UK cities and towns. Where CityFibre and Openreach both serve a postcode, CityFibre often provides materially lower pricing because its newer infrastructure has lower operational costs and it uses competitive pricing to win market share. The ISPs offering CityFibre-based leased lines include Vodafone Business and a range of regional providers.

Virgin Media Business

Virgin Media Business operates its own cable and fibre network with strong coverage in urban areas. It offers dedicated Ethernet circuits directly, without the wholesale provider layer that characterises Openreach and CityFibre products. Virgin's pricing is competitive in areas where it has active infrastructure, and its directly managed SLAs are among the stronger in the market.

Tier 2 and Specialist Networks

Providers including Zayo, Colt, GTT, and regional carriers operate fibre networks in specific areas — primarily major cities, business parks, and strategic commercial locations. In these areas, a Tier 2 carrier may offer lower pricing than the major networks because it has dense infrastructure nearby with low marginal cost to connect a new site. For larger organisations in central London or other major cities, Tier 2 options are worth including in any comparison.

What a Price Comparison Should Cover

Comparing leased line prices on a like-for-like basis requires looking at more than the monthly rental figure. The following factors must be assessed together for an accurate comparison:

• Speed: Is the quoted speed the same? A cheaper 100Mbps circuit and a more expensive 500Mbps circuit are not directly comparable.
• Contract length: A lower monthly price on a 60-month term may cost more in total than a higher price on a 36-month term. Calculate total contract cost.
• Installation charges: Some providers waive installation; others charge £500–£2,500 depending on civil works required. Include installation in the total cost comparison.
• SLA tier: A 5-hour MTTR SLA is not the same as a 20-hour MTTR SLA. The faster SLA tier usually costs more but carries significantly less downtime risk.
• Resilience options: Is diverse routing available? What is the cost of a 4G failover connection? These should be included in the full cost picture for sites where resilience is important.

How AMVIA Runs Leased Line Price Comparisons

AMVIA queries the availability and pricing databases of multiple UK network operators simultaneously for a given postcode. This produces a set of pre-survey estimates that can be directly compared before any provider commitment. We present these in a consistent format — monthly rental, installation, contract term, total contract cost, and SLA summary — so the comparison is straightforward.

After a preferred network is identified, we manage the site survey process and obtain a firm post-survey price before any contract is signed. This two-stage approach eliminates the common problem of accepting a low pre-survey estimate that rises after the survey reveals additional civil works.

Typical Price Ranges by Speed (2025, 36-Month Contract)

• 100Mbps: £199–£650/month depending on location and provider
• 500Mbps: £350–£900/month
• 1Gbps: £450–£1,200/month
• 10Gbps: £2,000–£6,000+/month (enterprise/data centre use)

The lower end of each range reflects well-connected city centre locations with multiple competing networks. The upper end reflects remote or single-provider sites where civil engineering costs are significant and no network competition exists.