Leased line vs. broadband access

I am considering either a leased line or broadband access for my business. Which is more viable and what are the major differences?

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Depending on your need, broadband would be the better choice. Broadband is a wide bandwidth transmission path that can be split into different channels. This is similar to cable TV?s multiple channels coming across one cable. This is known as frequency division multiplexing. Leased lines are basically dedicated phone lines set up by the local phone company, in conjunction with national and/or international carriers, to link you between two points. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. While broadband is very reasonably priced for the performance and reliability you get, it is often not available in all areas of the country, let alone the rest of the world. Lease lines however, can connect you to just about anywhere in the world. The problem with leased lines is that they are expensive, and the further and faster you go the more costly they are. You can get very high speeds with leased lines (i.e. T-1 or T-3), but it will cost you. If you are just looking to provide very adequate, affordable Internet access or local connectivity to another office location, broadband is the best choice.

This was first published in June 2001

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