A leased line in Vietnam gives a business dedicated, committed bandwidth, a block of static IP addresses and an uptime SLA written into the contract. FTTH is shared, cheap and comes with no uptime promise. For email and web browsing, FTTH is enough. Once you run a branch VPN, expose cameras or a server to the internet, or push backups offsite every night, a leased line is worth the cost.
What does shared bandwidth on FTTH mean?
Office FTTH in Vietnam usually runs on a GPON network, where one fiber from the exchange is split between many subscribers. The speed on the price list is a maximum, not a speed reserved for you. At peak hours, when neighbours on the same branch are busy, real throughput drops.
You rarely notice this while browsing. You do notice it when a branch VPN keeps disconnecting, or when a 300 GB backup that starts at midnight is still running at 8 a.m.
How is a leased line different?
A leased line is a connection reserved for one customer. Order 50 Mbps and you get 50 Mbps in both directions, including international bandwidth if the contract states it.
The bigger difference is the contract. The carrier commits to an availability rate, a repair time and a refund if it misses them. CMC Telecom, for example, advertises 99.9% availability for its Internet Leased Line service (CMC Telecom). That works out to roughly 43 minutes of downtime per month at most.
Why do static IP addresses matter?
FTTH plans usually assign a dynamic public IP that can change every time the modem restarts. To let a branch or remote staff reach the office over VPN, you need a dynamic DNS service to track the new address. Each extra service is one more thing that can fail.
A leased line normally includes a static block. A /29 gives you 5 usable addresses and a /28 gives you 13. Firewall rules, site-to-site VPNs and IP allow lists can then point at fixed addresses, which makes them easier to manage and audit.
How much more does a leased line cost?
The gap is large. Office FTTH plans in Vietnam typically cost a few hundred thousand to about one million VND per month. Leased lines range from a few million to tens of millions of VND per month, depending on speed, international bandwidth and carrier. Ask for written quotes, because prices vary by district and contract length.
| Criteria | FTTH | Leased line |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Shared, best effort | Dedicated, committed both ways |
| Public IP | Usually dynamic | Static block |
| SLA | Usually none | In the contract |
| Best for | Email, web, backup link | VPN, servers, cameras, offsite backup |
What should you check in a leased line contract?
Read the SLA section before you sign. Look for the availability percentage, the maximum repair time, how downtime is measured, and how the refund is calculated. Check whether international bandwidth is committed or only domestic. Ask who you call at 2 a.m., and whether that number reaches an engineer or a general hotline. A cheaper quote with a vague SLA often costs more after the first outage.
Should you run both connections?
Most of the small and mid-sized companies GPIT advises end up with both. The leased line carries the VPN, accounting software, ERP and camera traffic. FTTH handles everyday browsing and acts as the failover link. A router or firewall with load balancing switches to FTTH automatically if the leased line goes down.
This keeps the leased line order small, because you are not paying for committed bandwidth so staff can stream video. If your servers sit in a data center, the leased line also gives a steadier path to them. See our article on when colocation is cheaper than an in-house server room (Vietnamese).
FAQ
Does a 20-person office need a leased line?
Not always. If you have no branch VPN, no public-facing server, and nightly cloud backups finish on time, two FTTH lines from two different carriers are often enough.
Can FTTH come with a static IP?
Some carriers sell business FTTH with a static IP at a higher price. The bandwidth is still shared and there is usually no leased-line style SLA.
Does 99.9% uptime mean the line never goes down?
No. It allows up to about 43 minutes of downtime per month. What the SLA gives you is a duty to repair quickly and a refund when the carrier misses the target.
How long does it take to install a leased line?
Usually one to a few weeks, depending on whether new cable must be pulled. Keep the old FTTH line as a backup rather than cancelling it straight away.
GPIT designs office connectivity and firewall setups for companies in Ho Chi Minh City. Learn more at gpit.vn.
GPIT, IT Solution Investment Company Limited, 32 Truong Phuoc Phan, Binh Tri Dong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Hotline +84 945 886 818. Email info@gpit.vn. Website https://gpit.vn.
