Upgrading to a 10GB leased line sounds like a straightforward step: more bandwidth, better capacity, and future-proof performance. But in reality, the circuit itself is often the cheapest part of the upgrade. The hidden work sits behind the scenes: switches, cabling, routers, and firewalls that simply aren’t ready for 10 Gig traffic.
This guide explains what your business needs in place before a 10GB line will work properly, the commercial pitfalls many organisations face, and how Supplier Synergy helps clients avoid being pushed into unnecessary upgrades.
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Why Businesses Start Looking at 10GB Connectivity
For many organisations, cloud usage has overtaken internal capacity. Teams are running heavy workloads on Microsoft 365, Teams, voice platforms, backups and SaaS apps. As operations expand, performance begins to suffer.
At this stage, businesses often start re-evaluating their Business Connectivity & Communications options to understand what will support future growth.
The Hidden Challenge: Is Your Network Actually Ready?
Most suppliers are happy to quote a 10 Gig circuit. What they rarely ask is whether your internal environment can support it. This is where budgets become stretched.
Switching Infrastructure
Many legacy switches peak at 1 Gig. Once the circuit goes live, bottlenecks appear almost immediately.
If you’re already researching pricing, align this with your 10 GB Leased Line Cost planning so you’re not caught out by infrastructure costs.
Routers and Firewalls
Most off-the-shelf firewalls simply cannot process traffic at 10 Gig speeds.
Cabling & Patch Panels
Cat5e and Cat6 cabling often cannot sustain multi-gigabit throughput. Cat6a or fibre uplinks become necessary for stability.
Wi-Fi Infrastructure
Older or consumer-grade access points limit overall performance, even with a 10GB line behind them.
Server & Storage Performance
If internal systems can’t move data fast enough, the internet connection becomes irrelevant.
The Cost Nobody Talks About
Most companies budget for the line itself. But the infrastructure around it is what determines whether the upgrade works — and it’s where the surprise costs sit.
Example:
A Midlands organisation was quoted £650 per month for a 10 Gig circuit. The underlying network upgrade cost them £12,000. None of this was explained by the supplier during quoting.
We explore the technical and commercial factors further in What Impacts 10GB Performance
How to Assess Whether You Are 10GB-Ready
A structured readiness check provides clarity and prevents spiralling project costs. This assessment typically includes:
Mapping of switches and core network
Cabling and patch panel review
Firewall throughput evaluation
Review of telephony, cloud systems and failover
Supplier audit and contract evaluation
This ties closely to our broader Business Connectivity & Communications service, where we evaluate options based on commercial needs, not supplier incentives.
When a 10GB Leased Line Makes Commercial Sense
10GB is the right move when:
Cloud dependency is increasing
Performance impacts productivity
You’re expanding sites or teams
You need future-proof capacity
You expect high growth over 2–3 years
A well-planned upgrade prevents organisations from repeatedly revisiting connectivity decisions.
More context on commercial drivers can be found in Why Have 10GB Leased Lines .
How Supplier Synergy Helps
As an independent advisor, Supplier Synergy acts on behalf of the client — not the supplier. We help you understand:
What truly needs upgrading
What can stay in place
Where hidden costs may appear
Which supplier options align with your goals
How to future-proof the environment sensibly
We filter the entire supplier landscape so you’re not inundated with sales noise or upselling.
For businesses in the Midlands, this approach aligns closely with our Managed IT Support Birmingham service, ensuring both operational and commercial goals are met.
Final Thought
A 10GB leased line can transform productivity and unlock future capacity. But only when the infrastructure behind it is ready. Without preparation, costs rise, delays occur, and staff don’t see the performance improvements they were expecting.
A readiness check — paired with independent guidance — is the difference between a smooth upgrade and a costly misstep.
Supplier Synergy ensures every upgrade is commercially sound, technically aligned, and built around your business priorities.
Related Services
Through are partnerships we are able to offer a number of Communication Services for all types of businesses. Please contact us now for a free no obligation consultancy to choose the right partner for you.
About Supplier Synergy Ltd
Independent IT supplier brokerage based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, supporting businesses across Birmingham, the Midlands and throughout the UK.
We specialise in helping SMEs make the right supplier choices, while also providing independent guidance for larger organisations.
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