Cader NetworksTwo very different install processes
Business FTTP broadband generally follows the same install process as residential fibre: an engineer visit to connect the property, usually within a few weeks of ordering. A dedicated leased line is a different kind of project entirely, closer to a small civils job than a broadband order.
What actually takes the time on a leased line
Site survey
A leased line needs a survey to check the route from the nearest available fibre point to your building. This alone can take a couple of weeks to schedule and complete.
Wayleave and permissions
If the fibre needs to cross land you do not own, land the landlord owns, a neighbouring property, or a public road, a wayleave agreement or street works permit is often required. This is the single biggest source of delay on a leased line order, and it is largely outside any supplier's control.
Civils work
Where no existing duct reaches your building, new ductwork needs to be dug in. This is why leased line quotes vary so much: two buildings on the same street can have very different install costs and timelines depending on what already exists in the ground nearby.
Typical timeframes
As a rough guide, business FTTP is usually measured in weeks. A leased line with an easy route (existing duct, no wayleave needed) can land in a similar few weeks. A leased line that needs new civils work or a wayleave agreement is more realistically measured in months, sometimes several.
Why this matters for planning
If you are moving offices, opening a new site, or replacing a line you know is coming to end of contract, the leased line survey needs to start as early as possible, well before you need the connection live. Ordering a leased line with the same lead time you would give a broadband order is one of the most common ways businesses end up without connectivity on day one at a new site.
When to choose which
If your timeline is tight, business FTTP with 4G failover is usually the pragmatic starting point, with a leased line ordered in parallel if the bandwidth and SLA genuinely need it long-term. If you have the lead time and need guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth with a credit-back SLA, start the leased line survey as early as you possibly can.
See our business leased lines page for the full picture on what a leased line gets you once it is in, and our business broadband page for the faster-to-install alternative.