Leased line vs full-fibre broadband vs Starlink for a Northern Ireland business: which do you need?

For most Northern Ireland businesses the right answer in 2026 is full-fibre business broadband, which 95% of NI premises can now get, with a second connection for resilience ^{1Source 1Northern Ireland leads the way on full-fibre connectivity (Connected Nations) — Ofcom, 19 November 2025.www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/northern-ireland-leads-the-way-on-full-fibre-connectivityAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. It typically costs about £25 to £55 +VAT a month on a business contract ^{2Source 2Small business broadband guide — Selectra, updated 2 November 2026 (comparison site).selectra.co.uk/tv-broadband/guides/business/small-business-broadbandAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. A leased line, a dedicated fibre with guaranteed symmetrical speed and a fix-time SLA, starts at around £200 a month for 100 Mbps and £300 to £400 for 1 Gbps on a three-year term, and is worth it when a day offline would cost more than that ^{3Source 3How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026? — Babble, 9 January 2026 (provider price guide).www.babble.cloud/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-leased-line-cost-in-the-uk-in-2026Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources4Source 4Small business broadband: leased line prices — Selectra, updated 2 November 2026 (comparison site, same guide).selectra.co.uk/tv-broadband/guides/business/small-business-broadband#leased-linesAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Starlink's satellite service, from about £40 a month plus a £10 monthly kit fee for home plans and £30 to £296 a month for business priority data, is the answer where fibre still hasn't reached: rural sites, temporary premises and as a backup that doesn't share the same cable ^{5Source 5Starlink prices in the UK and US, updated 1 November 2026 — Find Cheap Broadband (price tracker).findcheapbroadband.com/blog/starlink-prices/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources6Source 6New UK Starlink broadband customers hit by £10 monthly kit fee — ISPreview, 10 June 2026 (trade press).www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/new-uk-starlink-broadband-customers-hit-by-10-monthly-kit-fee.htmlAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. The decision comes down to how much your business depends on the connection, not on the headline speed.

The short version

• Full fibre (FTTP) is shared, fast and cheap. It suits most offices, shops and practices, especially with a 4G or Starlink backup ^{2Source 2Small business broadband guide — Selectra, updated 2 November 2026 (comparison site).selectra.co.uk/tv-broadband/guides/business/small-business-broadbandAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources7Source 7Network connectivity for your commercial developments (Ethernet Access Direct and FTTP compared) — Openreach, February 2025.www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/documents/Network-connectivity-for-your-commercial-developments-Feb-25-V01-online.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• A leased line is yours alone, symmetrical and backed by a fix-time SLA, typically five hours or less. You pay ten times the price and wait around three months for it ^{3Source 3How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026? — Babble, 9 January 2026 (provider price guide).www.babble.cloud/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-leased-line-cost-in-the-uk-in-2026Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources7Source 7Network connectivity for your commercial developments (Ethernet Access Direct and FTTP compared) — Openreach, February 2025.www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/documents/Network-connectivity-for-your-commercial-developments-Feb-25-V01-online.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Starlink is quick to install and works almost anywhere, but it is shared, asymmetric and has no fix-time guarantee. Use it where fibre isn't available or as a second line ^{5Source 5Starlink prices in the UK and US, updated 1 November 2026 — Find Cheap Broadband (price tracker).findcheapbroadband.com/blog/starlink-prices/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources8Source 8Ookla finds Starlink's UK broadband speeds are poor vs Europe (Q4 2024 data) — ISPreview, 5 February 2025 (trade press).www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/ookla-finds-starlinks-uk-broadband-speeds-are-poor-vs-europe.htmlAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Whichever you choose, phones will run over it after the landline switch-off on 31 January 2027, so plan the connection and the phone system together ^{9Source 9Openreach warns businesses: just six months left before the UK's old phone network is switched off — Openreach, 31 July 2026.www.openreach.com/news/openreach-warns-businesses-just-six-months-left-before-the-uks-old-phone-network-is-switched-off/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

What is the difference between a leased line, full fibre and Starlink?

How much does a leased line cost in 2026?

UK provider and comparison guides published in 2026 put a 100 Mbps leased line at around £200 a month and a 1 Gbps line at £300 to £400 a month on a 36-month term, with 10 Gbps well above £1,000 ^{3Source 3How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026? — Babble, 9 January 2026 (provider price guide).www.babble.cloud/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-leased-line-cost-in-the-uk-in-2026Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources4Source 4Small business broadband: leased line prices — Selectra, updated 2 November 2026 (comparison site, same guide).selectra.co.uk/tv-broadband/guides/business/small-business-broadband#leased-linesAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Installation is often free on a three-year contract, which one provider says saves £4,000 to £6,000; otherwise expect £500 to £2,000, or more where new ducting is needed ^{3Source 3How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026? — Babble, 9 January 2026 (provider price guide).www.babble.cloud/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-leased-line-cost-in-the-uk-in-2026Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources4Source 4Small business broadband: leased line prices — Selectra, updated 2 November 2026 (comparison site, same guide).selectra.co.uk/tv-broadband/guides/business/small-business-broadband#leased-linesAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Allow about 90 days from order to live service ^{3Source 3How much does a leased line cost in the UK in 2026? — Babble, 9 January 2026 (provider price guide).www.babble.cloud/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-leased-line-cost-in-the-uk-in-2026Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. The fee buys exclusivity: Openreach describes its Ethernet product as a dedicated fibre with no shared bandwidth, symmetrical speeds, guaranteed ultra-low latency and a business-grade SLA with a fix typically within five hours ^{7Source 7Network connectivity for your commercial developments (Ethernet Access Direct and FTTP compared) — Openreach, February 2025.www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/documents/Network-connectivity-for-your-commercial-developments-Feb-25-V01-online.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. A fully resilient option runs two fibres from two separate exchanges along diverse paths ^{7Source 7Network connectivity for your commercial developments (Ethernet Access Direct and FTTP compared) — Openreach, February 2025.www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/documents/Network-connectivity-for-your-commercial-developments-Feb-25-V01-online.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

How much does full-fibre business broadband cost?

Northern Ireland is the best-served part of the UK for full fibre. Ofcom reported in November 2025 that 95% of NI households can get it, around 780,000 homes, that 96% can get a gigabit-capable connection, and that take-up had reached 62% against 42% across the UK ^{1Source 1Northern Ireland leads the way on full-fibre connectivity (Connected Nations) — Ofcom, 19 November 2025.www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/northern-ireland-leads-the-way-on-full-fibre-connectivityAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Project Stratum brought high-speed broadband to 81,000 rural premises, and its successor, Project Gigabit NI, a £34.6 million contract delivered by Fibrus, is extending full fibre to over 9,000 more rural premises ^{10Source 10Project Stratum and Project Gigabit NI — Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland.www.economy-ni.gov.uk/topics/project-stratumAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. If your premises are in the last few per cent, that is where Starlink earns its place.

When does Starlink make sense for a Northern Ireland business?

Starlink prices move often. At 1 November 2026, a UK price tracker listed the home plans at £40 a month for 100 Mbps, £60 for 200 Mbps and £80 for Residential Max, with new customers also paying a £10 monthly kit fee introduced in June 2026 ^{5Source 5Starlink prices in the UK and US, updated 1 November 2026 — Find Cheap Broadband (price tracker).findcheapbroadband.com/blog/starlink-prices/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources6Source 6New UK Starlink broadband customers hit by £10 monthly kit fee — ISPreview, 10 June 2026 (trade press).www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/new-uk-starlink-broadband-customers-hit-by-10-monthly-kit-fee.htmlAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Business customers buy priority data instead: £30 a month for 50 GB, £86 for 500 GB, £156 for 1 TB and £296 for 2 TB on the Local Priority plans, with hardware from £179 ^{5Source 5Starlink prices in the UK and US, updated 1 November 2026 — Find Cheap Broadband (price tracker).findcheapbroadband.com/blog/starlink-prices/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Check starlink.com for the figure on the day you order. Performance is good for a satellite service but is not fibre: Ookla's UK measurements showed a median of about 87 Mbps down, 13 Mbps up and 41 milliseconds latency ^{8Source 8Ookla finds Starlink's UK broadband speeds are poor vs Europe (Q4 2024 data) — ISPreview, 5 February 2025 (trade press).www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/ookla-finds-starlinks-uk-broadband-speeds-are-poor-vs-europe.htmlAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

• Use it as the main connection where fibre isn't available: farms, rural workshops, remote offices and sites awaiting a fibre build.
• Use it for temporary premises and construction sites, where a 90-day leased-line lead time makes no sense.
• Use it as a backup for an office on fibre. Because it doesn't share the cable, the duct or the exchange, a dig-up or a street-cabinet fault doesn't take both down.
• Don't rely on it alone for a phone system or video-heavy office without testing: upload speed and latency are what calls feel.

What does your phone system need from the connection?

After 31 January 2027 the old copper phone network is retired, and Openreach said in July 2026 that around 350,000 business premises still had to move ^{9Source 9Openreach warns businesses: just six months left before the UK's old phone network is switched off — Openreach, 31 July 2026.www.openreach.com/news/openreach-warns-businesses-just-six-months-left-before-the-uks-old-phone-network-is-switched-off/Accessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Every call then runs over your internet connection. The good news is that voice needs little bandwidth: Microsoft recommends 58 kbps each way per Teams call and 76 kbps for the best quality, and HD video under 1.5 Mbps ^{11Source 11Prepare your organization's network for Microsoft Teams — Microsoft Learn, updated 14 July 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/prepare-networkAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Twenty simultaneous calls fit in under 2 Mbps. What calls do need is a stable upload with low latency and jitter, which is why a contended line that is fast on paper can still sound bad at 11am, and why a leased line or a quality-of-service router matters more than another 500 Mbps of download.

Our guide to what a business phone system costs covers the switch-off and the per-user prices. One more rule: Ofcom requires providers to offer a way to reach the emergency services for at least an hour in a power cut, so put the router and phone system on a small UPS ^{12Source 12Protecting access to emergency organisations when there is a power cut at the customer's premises — Ofcom, 10 October 2018.www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123118/guidance-emergency-access-power-cut.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

How should a business build in failover?

1. 1.Two connections that don't share a path: fibre plus 4G/5G, or fibre plus Starlink. Two services from the same exchange over the same duct fail together.
2. 2.A router or firewall that fails over automatically and brings the phone system with it, tested every quarter rather than discovered during an outage.
3. 3.A UPS on the router, switch and phone system, so a short power cut doesn't become an outage ^{12Source 12Protecting access to emergency organisations when there is a power cut at the customer's premises — Ofcom, 10 October 2018.www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123118/guidance-emergency-access-power-cut.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
4. 4.If the main line is a leased line, make sure the SLA is in writing with the fix time and the compensation, and that the provider, not you, monitors it.

Which one should you choose?

How does BTNI handle connectivity?

Connectivity is part of BTNI's Networking service: we specify the line, order it, chase the install, configure the failover and monitor it, so a fault is ours to fix with the carrier rather than yours to chase. The Communications service puts the phone system on the same footing. A free Business Technology Review checks what your premises can get and what your business actually needs.