Leased line
(also private circuit, private line, data circuit, data line)
Leased line definition
A private, dedicated telecommunications channel with a fixed bandwidth between two or more sites. Telecommunications companies lease dedicated lines to organizations for an agreed-upon fee. Each point on the line is always active and permanently connected to the others. Leased lines may be used for telephone, internet, and other data communication services.
In the digital age, the term “leased line” frequently refers to an “internet leased line” or “Ethernet leased line” — a high-speed uncontended and symmetrical permanent internet connection. Internet leased lines are typically run on fiber optic cables for bandwidth and speed. They are rented by ISPs directly to organizations that require increased connection speed, uptime, and resilience.,
Real internet leased line characteristics
- Symmetrical: The upload and download speed of a leased line must be identical. Unlike individual users, organizations may be required to frequently upload large amounts of data, making increased upload speeds in comparison to consumer broadband a necessity.
- Uncontended: Leased lines are not shared with others — their bandwidth is not divided among other users in the area. This means that leased lines are not subject to peak-time performance issues like consumer broadband.
- Point-to-point: A leased line directly connects two or more sites, including the leased line provider and the organization itself.
