Point to point v internet leased lines

Asset 44

What’s the difference between point to point and internet fibre?

Posted on 6 August 2021 by Beaming Support

Fibre optic technology is a very efficient and fast way of connecting to the internet, but many organisations also use it to provide a completely private connection between two or more sites.

That, in a nutshell, is the difference between internet leased line fibre and point to point – one connects to the internet and one does not. In this article we’ll explore the similarities and differences between internet leased lines and point to point fibre, explain what each technology may be used for, how you’d go about installing each and give you some technical detail, too.

At a glance – point to point v internet leased lines

 

Internet leased line fibrePoint to point fibre
Best for
  • Medium to large businesses
  • Heavy users
  • Multiple occupancy buildings
  • Growing businesses
  • Adopters of latest technology
Multi site businesses – point to point fibre is used to connect business sites & does not break out to the public internet.
Type of lineFibre opticFibre optic
Uncontended (your own dedicated line)YesYes
Installation lead timeAverage 30 working daysAverage 30 working days
Repair time (Service Level Agreement)5 hour target 24/7 including bank holidays.5 hour target 24/7 including bank holidays.
Contract minimum
  • Minimum 12 months.
  • 36 month contracts most cost effective
  • Minimum 12 months.
  • 36 month contracts most cost effective
Data usageUnlimitedUnlimited
Connection chargesExcess construction charge may apply dependent upon location. The first £2800 of connection charge will be paid by the governmentExcess construction charge may apply dependent upon location. The first £2800 of connection charge will be paid by the government
Business applications
  • All business applications
  • VOIP
  • Cloud
  • Critical infrastructure
  • All business applications
  • VOIP
  • Cloud
  • Critical infrastructure

Pricing will vary depending on whether you choose point-to-point or internet fibre. Read more about how we determine your leased line price here.

Internet leased line fibre

Also known as: Dedicated internet fibre, Fibre Ethernet service, Fibre Optic Leased Line, Dedicated Internet Access or Direct Internet Access.

How does a leased line work?

How Dedicated Internet Fibre connects businesses to the internet:

  • A dedicated ethernet fibre to the business premises is delivered usually via duct (but sometimes via aerial fibre) from the nearest serving exchange.
  • Dedicated internet fibre provides a dedicated synchronous Internet bandwidth that is not shared with any other client.

Speed:

  • The fibre to the premises is usually known as the Bearer and this comes in variants of 100Mbps, 1Gbps and 10Gbps.
  • Customers may choose to have dedicated bandwidth in increments up to the bearer size.
  • If bandwidth bearer capacity exists then customers can upgrade their bandwidth usually within a few days.

What would you use it for?

  • Supporting cloud-based applications.
  • Transferring large amounts of data, for example as a creative agency that needs to share large files.
  • Supporting remote work.
  • Supporting VoIP infrastructure.
  • Supporting critical infrastructure that cannot lose connection to the internet.

Installation:

  • The lead time is usually 30 working days for installation provided there are no additional civil engineering Excess Construction Costs (ECC’s).
  • Installation costs vary according to the engineering work required (ECC’s) which is determined at survey by an Openreach engineer who visits the premises.
  • The service does not include a telephone line or number and cannot be migrated to another provider.
  • Openreach fibre terminating equipment is either wall mounted or rack mounted into the customer comms cabinet.
  • Customer interface presentation from Openreach has options to be either Ethernet RJ45 up to 1Gbps, Single Mode Fibre (SMF) or Multi Mode Fibre (MMF).

Service Levels:

  • Fix time – four hour response, five hour fix regardless of day or time.

Point to Point Fibre

Also known as: Fibre Ethernet service, leased line or possibly private circuit.

How point to point fibre works

How Point to Point connects business premises:

  • Dedicated Ethernet fibre between two business premises delivered usually via underground duct (but sometimes via aerial fibre) from the local serving telephone exchanges.
  • There is no internet access on a point-to-point fibre service.

Speed:

  • Maximum radial distance between customer premises is 45km for up to 1Gbps services and 25km for 10Gbps.
  • Maximum route distances of fibre is 86km for up to 1Gbps services and 40km for 10Gbps.

What would you use it for?

  • Typically used to link two customer buildings together at very high speed so that staff can operate as if they were located in the same premises.
  • Private infrastructure that needs to be protected from internet-borne threats.

Installation:

  • Installation costs vary according to the engineering work required (Excess Construction Costs – ECC’s) which is determined at survey by an Openreach engineer who visits the premises.
  • The lead time is usually 30 working days for installation provided there are no additional ECC’s.
  • The service does not include a telephone service or number and cannot be migrated to another provider.
  • At the A-end premises Openreach will also install their own monitoring line and broadband.
  • Openreach fibre terminating equipment is either wall mounted or rack mounted into the customer comms cabinet.
  • Customer interface presentation from Openreach has options to be either Ethernet RJ45 up to 1Gbps, Single Mode Fibre (SMF) or Multi Mode Fibre (MMF).

Service Levels:

  • Fix time – four hour response, five hour fix regardless of day or time.

 

If you’re not quite ready for dedicated fibre just yet, learn more about your broadband options with the following articles:

Take the next step towards ultra fast, dedicated connectivity

Beaming’s technical team has years of expertise in planning and implementing fibre connectivity. Speak to one of our team today by calling 0800 082 2868 or fill in the form below.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Beaming

We are an Independent Internet Service Provider for UK businesses. Serious about service with a network built for business; we make sure you stay connected.

From the resilient and secure network we’ve built, to the choice of tailormade products all supplied with expert service, we provide peace of mind that businesses require.

Bulletin

Don’t miss out on more free advice

Our monthly update could land in your inbox with information on:

– What’s new in fibre and broadband
– The latest advice to keep your business always connected
– What to expect from your ISP
– How to avoid the latest cyber security scams

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.