A leased line is a private bidirectional or symmetric telecommunications line between two or more locations provided in exchange for a monthly rent. Sometimes known as a private circuit or data line in the UK.
Unlike traditional PSTN lines it does not have a telephone number, each side of the line being permanently connected to the other. Leased lines can be used for telephone, data or Internet services. Some are ringdown services, and some connect to PBXes.
Typically, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. Unlike dial-up connections, a leased line is always active. The fee for the connection is a fixed monthly rate. The primary factors affecting the monthly fee are distance between end points and the speed of the circuit. Because the connection does not carry anybody else's communications, the carrier can assure a given level of quality.
An Internet leased line is a premium internet connectivity product, delivered over fiber normally, which is dedicated and provides uncontended, symmetrical speeds, full-duplex. It is also known as an ethernet leased line, DIA line, data circuit or private circuit.
For example, a T-1 channel can be leased, and provides a maximum transmission speed of 1.544 Mbit/s. The user can divide the connection into different lines for multiplexing data and voice communication, or use the channel for one data circuit. Leased lines, as opposed to DSL, are being used by companies and individuals for Internet access because they afford faster data transfer rates and are cost-effective for heavy users of the Internet.
