How long does a leased line take to install?

If you're used to ordering broadband and being live within a couple of weeks, a leased line works differently. It's a dedicated circuit built to your premises, and that means more groundwork before the connection goes live. This page sets out what to expect on timing and what can move the date in either direction.

A leased line usually takes longer to install than standard broadband because the work can involve surveys, civils, wayleaves, and a new dedicated circuit. The exact timeline depends on the building, access route, and whether construction work is needed, which is why businesses should plan early rather than assume a quick switchover.

How long does a leased line usually take to install?

As a rough guide, a leased line typically takes from a few weeks to a few months. Where the route is straightforward and no construction is needed, it can land toward the shorter end. Where the survey turns up new ducting, road crossings, or a wayleave that has to be agreed, it can run longer. No provider can give a firm date until the survey is complete, so treat any pre-survey estimate as indicative.

The stages below are typical. Each one can be quick or slow depending on your building and access route, which is why the same product can take very different amounts of time at two different addresses.

Why does a leased line take longer than normal broadband?

Standard broadband usually reuses infrastructure that already runs to or near your building, so activating it is mostly a config change. A leased line is different: it's a dedicated circuit reserved for your business alone, often built end to end to your premises. That dedicated fibre frequently doesn't exist on the right route yet, so part of the install can involve physically building it.

Because of that, a leased line carries a survey, possible construction work, and sometimes permission from third parties before anything goes live. Those steps are what give you the symmetrical speeds, guaranteed bandwidth, and service-level commitments a leased line is known for, but they also take time to get right. You can read a plain-English definition of the product on our leased line glossary entry.

What can delay a leased line installation?

Most delays come from the physical route to your building rather than the provider's admin. The common ones are:

1. Construction work (civils). If the survey finds the route needs new ducting, a road crossing, or digging across a car park or pavement, that work has to be scheduled and can need local-authority permits.
2. Wayleave agreements. If the fibre has to cross land or a building someone else owns, written permission is needed first. How fast a landlord signs is often outside the provider's control.
3. Access and survey findings. Restricted site access, a longer-than-expected route, or a building with no existing fibre nearby can all add steps.
4. Third-party scheduling. Contractors, council permit windows, and engineer availability all have lead times that can stack up.

None of these are guaranteed to apply to your address. The honest position is that the provider can't confirm which ones matter until the survey is done, so it's sensible to budget for the longer end and be pleased if it's quicker.

What are surveys, civils, and wayleaves, and why do they matter?

A survey is the engineer's on-site check of the route into your building. It confirms whether existing fibre can be used or whether new work is needed, and it's the point at which a realistic install date becomes possible.

Civils is the construction work: digging, laying ducting, and any road or pavement crossing required to get fibre to your premises. It's the part most likely to extend a timeline, because it can involve permits and scheduled contractor visits rather than a single engineer appointment.

A wayleave is the legal permission to run a cable across land or through a building you don't own, such as a landlord's common areas. It matters because the agreement has to be in place before the fibre can be installed, and the timing depends on someone outside the order signing it. Starting that conversation early is one of the few things you can directly influence.

Can the business get online while waiting for the leased line?

Yes. A common approach is to bridge the gap with a business 4G or 5G connection. It can be live quickly, keep you working during the build, and then stay in place as a backup once the leased line is active. That's particularly useful if you're moving into new premises or your existing line is due to be switched off before the leased line is ready.

This won't match the dedicated bandwidth or service-level commitments of a leased line, but it keeps phones, payments, and email running so the wait doesn't become downtime. Treat it as a temporary bridge and a longer-term resilience layer rather than a replacement.

When should I place the order if timing matters?

As early as you reasonably can. Because the survey, any civils, and any wayleave all sit ahead of the actual install, the date you go live is largely set by how soon those steps start. If you have a move-in date, a lease deadline, or a current line being switched off, work backwards from it and order with plenty of runway rather than waiting until you're in the building.

Getting a quote and survey moving early also surfaces any wayleave or construction requirement sooner, so you can start the landlord conversation or budget for the work before it sits on the critical path. If you're weighing up timing across multiple sites, our locations we serve page is a useful starting point, and you can request a leased line quote whenever you're ready to begin.

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