In short
A leased line for manufacturing is a dedicated, symmetrical internet connection, such as BTnet, carrying ERP and cloud systems, CCTV, remote support for machinery and office traffic at a production site. Industrial and rural sites are more likely to need survey work, excess construction charges and wayleaves, so plan early and decide how much resilience production needs.
Get a quote for BTnet for manufacturing
Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will reply by email with options and a quote.
What a production site runs over its connection
A manufacturing site's connection carries far more than office email. When it slows or stops, orders, despatch and sometimes production feel it. Typical traffic includes:
| System | Why the connection matters | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| ERP, MRP and cloud business systems | Orders, scheduling, stock and finance often run in the cloud or at a head office | Steady response for every user and shift |
| Customer portals and electronic orders | Orders and schedules arrive and are confirmed online | Fixed addresses where customers and suppliers allow-list connections |
| CCTV and site security | Cameras that record to the cloud or are viewed remotely upload continuously | Upload capacity sized for camera count |
| Remote support for machinery | Equipment suppliers may need secure remote access to diagnose machines | A controlled VPN route on a static IP address |
| Design and engineering files | Drawings, models and test data are large and move both ways | Symmetrical bandwidth |
| Office, calls and video | Sales, purchasing and management teams work like any office | Room for calls and video at the same time as everything else |
BTnet suits this mix because the bandwidth is dedicated, uncontended and symmetrical, from 2Mbps up to 10Gbps, with static IPv4 addresses included and no fair usage policy according to BT's help pages. See what is a leased line used for and a leased line for CCTV for more on each use.
Not sure which plan fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right plan for your organisation, with a quote.
Industrial and rural sites: survey, construction and wayleaves
Manufacturing sites are often on industrial estates, at the edge of town or in the countryside. That can make the route for a new fibre access line longer or more complicated, so it is worth understanding the steps before you order.
- The survey comes first. Every BTnet order starts with a site survey that confirms a suitable access line route, where it enters your site and where BT's equipment will go.
- Extra engineering may be needed. Where reaching your site needs more engineering or infrastructure than a standard installation, BT may apply excess construction charges on top of the standard connection charges. You can agree an ECC limit in the order: within it, BT proceeds; above it, BT re-quotes and you decide whether to go ahead. If you cancel after agreeing ECC, you pay for work already done.
- Permissions from other landowners. If the route crosses private land, a private road or a neighbouring site, the owner may need to sign a wayleave agreement with Openreach, the network that builds the access line. Openreach describes a wayleave as permission from the landlord or landowner to install or repair network equipment on their land; it is usually ongoing and continues if the land changes hands.
- Dates follow the survey. BT's help pages say installation can take up to 70 working days, depending on the survey, and that BT gives a Customer Committed Date after the survey. Where BT cannot give a committed date, its terms say it gives an estimated one. See BTnet lead times.
None of this is a reason not to order. It is a reason to start early, especially for a new building, an expansion or a move, and to tell us about your site layout and landlord at the start.
Getting the site ready for installation
BT's terms set out what the customer provides. On a factory site, a few points need particular attention:
- Choose a home for the equipment. BT needs a safe, suitable space for its network terminating equipment and any managed router, ideally in a comms room or office area rather than on the production floor.
- Plan cabling between buildings. The line arrives at one point. Any internal cabling between BT's equipment and yours, including links to other buildings on site, is yours to provide.
- Provide trunking and openings. BT's terms ask you to provide trunking, conduits and cable trays, lift floor or ceiling tiles, make openings in walls where needed and make good afterwards.
- Arrange power. BT asks for a secure, continuous power supply for its equipment and back-up power that meets the standby requirements of the applicable British standards.
- Agree access and safety rules. BT asks for access during Business Hours (08:00 to 17:00 on a business day) or as otherwise agreed, with someone to escort engineers. BT's terms say BT will follow reasonable health and safety and security rules that you have notified in writing, so send yours in advance.
Delays caused on the customer side can mean charges start from the planned date, so a little preparation pays off. See preparing your site for a BTnet installation.
Is BTnet for manufacturing the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
Keeping production systems apart from office traffic
On a manufacturing site, the network that runs machines and cameras should not be the same flat network that staff and visitors use. Separating them limits what an infection on one laptop can reach, and lets you prioritise what matters.
- Separate networks for production equipment, CCTV, office users and any guests, joined only where needed through your firewall
- Controlled supplier access: remote support through a VPN to a static address, limited to the machines that supplier looks after, and switched off when not in use
- A plan that matches your skills: BTnet wires only into your own firewall if your IT or engineering team already runs one, or BTnet Meraki with BTnet Security for malware protection, content filtering and intrusion detection and prevention delivered with the line
BT's terms say BT does not guarantee the security of the service against unauthorised access, and that equipment you connect must be protected against viruses and other breaches. The line is one layer; segmentation, patching, access control and backups do the rest. For wider wired and wireless networks across a large site, Forever Group can also help with Cisco Meraki networking.
Resilience for production
Start with a simple question: what stops if the line is down for a shift? If the answer includes despatch, order intake, remote monitoring or the phones, a second line is worth pricing.
| BT resilience option | How it works | When it suits a production site |
|---|---|---|
| Failover | A standby line takes over if the primary fails | Sites where most systems must keep running at full speed |
| Load balancing | Two lines run together; if one fails, traffic can use the other, subject to capacity | Busy sites that want to use both lines day to day |
| Back-up | A lower-speed second line | Sites where keeping the essentials running is enough |
Availability of each option depends on configuration, speed and location, and the equipment for the second line sits on the same LAN segment as the first. Separate cable routes into the site and backup power are questions for the survey. BT's SLA includes a 100% availability service level with service credits, and BT aims to give at least five business days' notice of planned maintenance, which helps you plan around shifts. See resilient BTnet.
Sizing for today and growth
Size the line for the busiest hour in both directions: the shift change when everyone signs in, cameras uploading, a large file going to a customer and calls in progress. Then leave headroom.
Two decisions keep you flexible. First, choose a bearer with room above your starting speed, because Bandwidth Flex lets you change the port speed within the bearer: BT's help pages say on 72 hours' notice with rental changing pro rata. Under BT's terms each flex is chargeable and runs for at least five business days, and a flex beyond what the managed equipment can handle needs new equipment and starts a new minimum period. Second, if you are planning an extension or a new unit, tell us early: a move to a new site is an external move, which needs a survey and starts a new minimum period. See moving office with a BTnet leased line.
How Forever Communications helps manufacturers
Forever Communications is an Authorised Supplier for BT. We supply BTnet to production sites and help plan the line around how the site really works:
- Gather the site layout, landlord and neighbouring land details that affect the survey and any wayleave
- Explain any excess construction charges in plain words and help you set an ECC limit you are comfortable with
- Size the bandwidth for ERP, cameras, file transfer and calls, with room to flex
- Choose a plan that fits who runs your firewall, and price resilience for production
- Help you follow progress as BT confirms dates, and help after go-live with changes and SLA claims
Contact us with your site address and what runs on the network, and ask us for a quote.
Why buy BTnet from Forever Communications
Forever Communications is part of Forever Group and an Authorised Supplier for BT. We supply BTnet, BT's dedicated leased line internet service, to businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, and we help with each step from first enquiry to go-live.
- The right BTnet option for you: we help you choose a speed, bearer, router and resilience option that fits how your sites actually work, from BTnet plans to BTnet speeds
- A clear quote: BTnet is priced per site, so we check availability at your address and set out what is included; see leased line cost
- Installation managed with you: we explain the survey, any wayleave or construction steps and the installation process, and keep you updated on progress
- Connected services in one conversation: phones with BT Cloud Voice, Wi-Fi, firewalls and backup lines, so the whole set-up is planned together
- Help after go-live: we can help with faults, changes and upgrades, with the support arrangements confirmed in your quote
BTnet is a business service. Service levels, lead times and features are BT's and are confirmed at order.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a leased line to a rural factory?
Often, yes, but the route may need extra engineering. A survey confirms the route, and any excess construction charges and wayleaves are agreed before work goes ahead. Starting early gives the most room for those steps.
What are excess construction charges on a leased line?
Charges on top of the standard connection charge where extra infrastructure is needed to reach your site. Under BT's terms you can set an ECC limit in the order; above it BT re-quotes and you decide whether to proceed.
Who provides the cabling between buildings on our site?
You do. BT's terms make internal cabling between BT's equipment and your equipment the customer's responsibility, so plan links to other buildings with your electrical or network contractor.
Can machine suppliers connect remotely over BTnet?
Yes, if you set it up securely. BTnet includes static IPv4 addresses, so suppliers can connect through a VPN to a known address. Limit each supplier to the equipment they support and keep production on its own network segment.
How do we keep production running if the line fails?
Add a second BTnet line using one of BT's resilience options: failover, load balancing or a lower-speed back-up. Ask about separate routes and backup power at the survey.
Still have a question about BTnet for manufacturing?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.