When businesses compare leased lines with broadband, the service level agreement is often what tips the decision. Speed matters, but for many organisations the real question is what happens when something goes wrong, and how quickly it will be put right. This guide explains what a leased line SLA is, what it typically covers, where its limits are, and the questions worth asking before you sign.
What is a service level agreement?
A service level agreement, or SLA, is the part of your contract that sets out measurable commitments from your provider. On a leased line it usually covers how quickly faults will be fixed, and sometimes how much of the time the service should be available. It also explains what you are entitled to if those commitments are not met, which is normally a service credit against your bill.
Business broadband usually comes with good support, but it is generally a best effort service on a shared network. A leased line is a dedicated connection with contractual targets, which is a large part of why it costs more. Our guide to leased lines and business broadband compares the two in more detail.
Fix times and restore times
The headline figure in most leased line SLAs is the fix time, sometimes called the restore time or time to repair. This is the target for getting a failed service working again after a fault is reported.
Many UK leased lines run over Openreach's Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) product. Openreach's contract schedule for its ethernet services states a 5 hour restore time for EAD. That is the commitment Openreach makes to providers. The SLA your provider gives you sits on top of it, so read your own contract to see exactly what you are promised.
How the clock works
The detail matters as much as the headline number. Look for answers to these points:
- When does the clock start? Usually when the fault is reported and logged, not when it first happened.
- Does it run around the clock? Some SLAs count all hours, others only count working hours.
- When does the clock pause? It often stops if engineers cannot get into your premises, or if the provider is waiting for information from you.
- What counts as fixed? Normally the point when the service is restored, even if a permanent repair follows later.
What an SLA usually covers
- The fibre connection between your premises and the provider's network.
- The network terminating unit fitted by the network operator.
- Equipment the provider supplies and manages, such as a router, where this is stated in the contract.
- The provider's own core network.
What is usually not covered
- Your internal network. Switches, WiFi, cabling and devices inside your premises are normally your responsibility unless you buy a managed service.
- Power. If the building loses power, the line cannot work, and that is not a network fault.
- Access delays. If engineers cannot get in, the clock often stops.
- Events outside the provider's control, which contracts usually define.
- Planned maintenance, where notice has been given.
- Problems caused by changes you make, such as reconfiguring equipment.
Service credits and their limits
If the provider misses an SLA target, you are usually entitled to a service credit. Credits are normally a share of the monthly rental and are often capped. They are a sign that the provider is accountable, but they rarely cover the real cost of downtime to a business. That is why an SLA should be one part of your continuity plan rather than the whole of it.
Why it matters for business continuity
Think about what an outage costs you. For a busy office, a contact centre or a business running everything in the cloud, a few hours offline can mean lost sales, missed calls and staff unable to work. A fast fix time reduces that risk, but no SLA can bring the risk to zero.
For businesses that cannot afford to be offline, the usual answer is a second connection. This could be a second leased line on a separate route, or business full fibre or a mobile router as a backup. Our guide to backup and failover explains the options. It is also worth reviewing security at the same time, as covered in our guide to cyber security for small businesses.
Questions to ask a provider
- What is the fix time, and is it measured in all hours or working hours only?
- Is there an availability target, and how is it calculated?
- When does the clock start, pause and stop?
- What equipment is covered, and who replaces a failed router?
- How do I report a fault, and is support available at all hours?
- How are service credits calculated, and is there a cap?
- How will I be updated while a fault is being worked on?
- What resilience options do you offer?
Talk to a local team
Our team is based in Sunderland and supports businesses across the North East and the rest of the UK. We are happy to talk through SLA terms in plain English before you commit. Visit our leased lines page to check your address or ask for a leased line quote, or call 0191 543 3432.