Leased lines are still relatively expensive when compared to the commodity pricing of ADSL but what is best for your business?
A typical setup for a small business is to have an ADSL connection to the office with a website hosted by a hosting provider. This type of configuration works really well for smaller businesses as long as the requirements for internet connectivity are limited to simple browsing and email - much the same as a domestic Internet connection.
For larger or growing companies a switch to a leased line can make significant benefits. Having dedicated bandwidth for VOIP or video conferencing can make big savings on call costs, but this is only feasible on a leased line. ADSL connections have very limited upstream bandwidth and are simply not reliable enough for business use.
ADSL does not scale well above the line speed, which is of course dependant on the distance to the exchange. On the hand, leased line speeds are guaranteed and there is no distance limit so for businesses that are far from a local exchange it is ideal.
The downside to all this is that leased lines are relatively expensive when compared to ADSL. However, reliable business connectivity is crucial if your organisation is to succeed so many opt for leased line connectivity.
