Leased line costs: 1Gb pricing explained
A 1Gb leased line needs an address-specific quote. Compare monthly rental, installation, contract length and backup costs — not just the headline speed.
How much does a 1Gb leased line cost?
There is no single UK price for a 1Gb leased line that applies to every building. SCG Solutions checks the full installation address before quoting, because carrier availability, the route to usable fibre and any construction work affect the result. Required bandwidth, contract length, equipment, service levels and resilience also belong in the comparison. A national “from” price is not a confirmed offer for your premises.
This produces results that look irrational until you know the mechanism. A unit on a business park with fibre already in the ducting can be cheap and quick. A unit half a mile away, on the wrong side of a road or a railway, can cost several times more and take months, for exactly the same service. Two neighbouring buildings genuinely can get very different answers, which is why anyone quoting from a postcode rather than an address is guessing.
Separate the bearer from the committed bandwidth. A 1Gb bearer carrying a 100Mb service is not the same order as 1Gb of committed capacity, even if both quotes mention 1Gb. Ask for the upstream and downstream rates, upgrade terms and the actual service-level agreement in writing so that prices describe comparable services.
For a like-for-like total, multiply the quoted monthly rental by the minimum contract term and add the quoted one-off installation, construction and equipment charges. Include any separately priced support or backup service, and check whether VAT is included or excluded throughout. Ask how a survey could change the final construction charge before approving the order.
A longer term may spread installation costs over more months, but a lower monthly bill does not automatically mean a lower total commitment. Compare the available terms against your lease, moving plans and future capacity needs. If full fibre can meet your requirements, compare that service alongside the leased line rather than assuming dedicated Ethernet is always necessary.
What actually drives the number
Distance to fibre
The single biggest factor. Metres matter — a building near an existing route is cheap, one that needs a new run is not.
Whether anyone digs
Excavation, road closures and wayleaves are where an ordinary quote becomes a large one. Existing ducting avoids most of it.
Wayleaves
Check landlord and third-party permissions, any associated charges and the effect on the delivery timetable.
Contract length
Compare monthly rental and total commitment over each available term, including any installation contributions.
Bearer vs speed
Check whether the quote is for a 1Gb bearer at a lower committed rate or a full 1Gb service, and how upgrades are charged.
Resilience
Price backup connectivity separately and check route diversity, mobile coverage, power continuity and application failover.
Where the money usually goes
- A building already served by fibre — the cheapest and fastest case by a wide margin
- A building near an existing route — moderate cost, weeks rather than months
- A new run under a public road — where quotes jump, and where lead times become months
- A route crossing third-party land — a wayleave, which is the most common cause of a delayed install
- A rural site with no fibre for miles — where the honest answer is often that a leased line is not proportionate
- A second circuit or mobile backup — a separate quote, with physical diversity and failover checked rather than assumed
Leased line costs: 1Gb pricing explained — Common Questions
How much does a 1Gb leased line cost in the UK?
The price depends on the full installation address, carrier availability, committed bandwidth, construction work and contract term. We do not publish a fixed national price as though it applies to every building. Request an address-specific quote that separates monthly rental, one-off charges, VAT treatment and any backup service before comparing suppliers.
What should a business leased line price include?
Ask for monthly rental, the minimum term, installation and any excess construction charges, router or firewall costs, support scope and VAT treatment. Confirm whether the quote includes backup connectivity and what the service-level agreement commits to. Compare the total contract commitment, not a monthly figure that leaves important charges outside the headline.
Why do leased line quotes vary so much for the same speed?
Because you are largely paying to connect your building to a fibre network rather than for the bandwidth itself. The distance to the nearest usable fibre, and whether a road or third-party land is in the way, can change the cost several times over for an identical service. Two neighbouring buildings genuinely can get very different quotes.
What do you need for an accurate leased line quote?
The exact building or unit address is essential — not only the postcode — because neighbouring units can be served by different fibre routes. Tell us the speed you are considering, whether you need a backup route, when the service is needed and the contract terms you would consider. That lets us check availability, likely lead time and the realistic options before putting a price in front of you.
Is a longer contract actually cheaper?
It may reduce the monthly rental or installation contribution, but that depends on the offer and does not prove a lower total commitment. Compare all available terms against how long you expect to occupy the building, any moving plans and future capacity needs. Check the written charges and conditions before choosing a longer agreement.
What is a wayleave and why does it delay things?
A wayleave is permission for infrastructure to cross or be installed on land or premises owned by someone else. Landlords or other landowners may need to agree before work can proceed. Ask who obtains the permission, whether charges apply and how it affects the delivery estimate; approval and timing should not be assumed.
Do we need a 1Gb line if we only use 100Mb?
Usually not. A 1Gb bearer running at 100Mb costs less than 1Gb of bandwidth and can be increased later with a phone call rather than a new installation. Buying the larger bearer and the smaller speed is generally the sensible middle, because the expensive part is the physical connection.
Is a leased line always the right answer?
No. Compare committed capacity, upstream performance, written service levels and the business impact of downtime against the Full Fibre options available at your premises. Some broadband products offer symmetric profiles, and backup is a separate design question for either access type. Choose the quoted service that meets the requirement rather than relying on its name.
How long does installation take?
Anywhere from a few weeks where fibre is already in the building to several months where civils and wayleaves are involved. The estimate given at quote stage is exactly that until a survey has been done. Where the date matters, a temporary 4G or 5G circuit bridges the gap and is removed when the line lands.
Plan your next step
Compare related options, check what needs to work together and prepare the details for a useful conversation.
- Compare leased lines and Full Fibre →Check bandwidth, repair commitments and resilience before deciding which connection your building needs.
- Explore dedicated Ethernet leased lines →Review circuit capacity and the service commitments to request alongside an address-specific price.
- Request a building-specific leased line quote →Bring the full address, required speed, contract term and backup requirements so the options can be compared properly.
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Where we cover leased line costs: 1gb pricing explained
We deliver this across the UK. These 8 are where a director is actually based — each page names who you would be dealing with, and what the local economy is made of.
Want a real number for your address?
Send the exact building or unit address, required bandwidth, preferred contract term, timing and backup requirements. We will check availability and compare the appropriate options, including business Full Fibre where it meets your needs, rather than treating a postcode-only price as a confirmed offer.