leasedline

Leased line, also called a dedicated line or private line, is a telecommunications circuit that connects two fixed locations with a link reserved exclusively for a single customer. It provides a permanent, symmetrical, point-to-point connection that is not shared with others, unlike consumer internet or general business broadband. Leased lines are commonly used to transport data, voice, or video between offices, data centers, or other sites, and they often form the backbone of a private WAN.

Connection media include fiber, copper, or fixed wireless, with the service typically provided by a telecom operator. Leased lines are offered as traditional circuit interfaces such as T1/E1 or higher-capacity options, and increasingly as Ethernet over leased line or IP-VPN services. Capacities range from megabits to gigabits per second, with bandwidth guaranteed by a service-level agreement (SLA).

Key characteristics include fixed bandwidth, low and predictable latency, and reliability, since the line is dedicated. Performance is not affected by other customers. Leased lines usually incur ongoing monthly charges and longer contract terms; many providers offer redundant paths for higher resilience.

Common use cases include linking branch offices to a central data center, backing up data to a remote site, or transporting private data between sites. The term is regionally interchangeable with dedicated line or private line in some markets.