Why ILL is not a product but a Service

Internet Leased Line – Not a Product but a Service
Businesses that always need a high-speed Internet connection, terabytes of bandwidth and a secure network to connect their branch offices cannot make do with the fibre broadband services that are used by individuals and households. An Internet Leased Line that connects two or more locations is a better option for commercial use. With its multiple features, it is not merely a product but a fullfledged service.

Enterprises look for seamless connectivity for their communications, collaborations and transactions over the Internet. Shared fibre broadband connections where multiple users access a network simultaneously are not efficient for companies that have more than 20 employees. Alternatively, an Internet Leased Line (ILL) gives them the desired bandwidth with a reliable and high-speed connection.

As a dedicated line, a leased line connects two sites to enable private voice and/or data telecom service. It is not a dedicated cable but a reserved circuit between two locations. And it is available for a fixed monthly/yearly fee as an always-on connection.

Leased lines can cover both short and long distances. They have a single open circuit throughout the time (they are leased for) as against conventional telephone services that use the same line for several different conversations with a process known as switching.

Features and the bespoke add-ons that make ILL a service
A leased line is taken on rent from the service provider and is an exclusive connection not shared with anyone. It comes with identical upload and download speeds and brings manifold advantages for businesses. An organisation taking up leased line connectivity gets:

• More business efficiency with high-speed Internet
• Carrier-grade connectivity
• Access to a widespread last-mile network reaching offices in any part of the country
• End-to-end service level agreements (SLAs) on latency, uptime and packet loss
• User-friendly online interface for performance monitoring and management

These tailored benefits that come with ILL make it more of a service than a product. Unlike a vanilla broadband connection, your ILL service provider will not be a mere carrier, an agent or a virtual network operator. The company will offer a high level of service for instant and direct connection supported by qualified engineers. In the event of a routing issue, it will be addressed in minimum time, unlike the procedure followed by reseller agents who merely raise a ticket with the carriercausing a disruption to your operations.

Leased lines are backed by detailed SLAs, a copy of which is available to your organisation. It is advisable to choose a leased line service providing company that can offer an uptime guarantee of more than 99% and complete technical support against issues.

As a part of the SLA, the main network and its performance parameters, which include jitter and latency, are constantly monitored. This further enhances the reliability and value of the leased line Internet connection.

Although an ILL comes with similar and high speeds for uploads and downloads, you can ask your service provider to adjust these speeds further as per the priority of your business requirements.

With no sharing of the bandwidth, your business is assured of the capacity that it requested throughout the subscription period. Furthermore, the bandwidth too can be modified according to your preferences. This is done with the help of a bearer circuit that facilitates extra bandwidth without any need to reset the line.

Another provision with a leased line is unlimited data. There is no cap on the usage, and this is a necessity for businesses that are continually growing. They can keep hiring new employees, add more processes and win more clients – the increasing consumption of data will not inflate their bills.

When you opt for an ILL, you will also get a low latency guarantee, which is another advantage especially if your organisation uses VoIP setups and has mission-critical business applications

Lastly, a leased line for Internet connectivity brings for you your own, permanent IP address. Your service provider can also offer more than one IP address so that you can use particular business apps, website servers, email servers and other custom software.

The multiple options for customisation and the availability of any technical support on demand make leased lines personalised services, as compared to factory-made products that are pushed to everyone regardless of their value for a buyer.

For more information on ILL, feel free to contact a Tata Tele Business Services representative.