- What is last-mile connectivity?
- How does last-mile connectivity work?
- Why is the last mile crucial for your business?
- Last-mile connectivity challenges
- Choosing the right last-mile connectivity provider
- Last-mile connectivity solutions
What is last-mile connectivity?
Last-mile connectivity is the final stretch of a telecoms network that connects your business to your network service provider’s infrastructure. For example, in a typical business Ethernet connection, the last mile is the dedicated fibre or copper cable that connects your premises to your service provider’s network or nearest point of presence (PoP). It’s critical for your business operations because the speed and reliability of your connection depend on it.
How does last-mile connectivity work?
The global network to which your business premises are connected can be divided into three broad segments:
- The internet backbone: The high capacity global network of fibre optic cables that forms the internet’s core infrastructure, connecting major data centres, ISPs and cloud services.
- The middle mile: The regional core or backbone network that transmits data between regions and cities.
- The last mile: The access network from your network service provider’s local infrastructure to your business premises.
Last-mile connections can use various technologies such as fibre optic, coaxial or copper cables. Wireless signals can also be used, especially for mobile networks or to reach remote areas without fixed-line infrastructure.
Contended connections
With FTTP or FTTC business broadband, the last mile is typically a contended passive optical network, where bandwidth is shared with other users. Your internet speed may fluctuate, causing potential slowdowns and interruptions at peak times.
In contrast, most high-capacity business networks use dedicated connections to ensure consistent speeds, low latency and greater reliability.
Dedicated connections
Dedicated connections avoid broadband bottlenecks in the last mile. They use high-capacity Ethernet and optical connectivity to provide a reliable, uncontended connection to your business.
For example, Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), also known as a leased line, provides a direct, private connection to your local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), giving your business access to the internet.
Leased line

Unlike standard broadband, you don’t share bandwidth with other customers, and your upload/download speeds are guaranteed, typically up to 10Gbps.
Learn more about DIA vs broadband
For higher capacities, Ethernet can deliver dedicated connections up to 100Gbps, while optical connectivity services can reach 400Gbps or higher. With DIA, Ethernet and optical services, the dedicated last-mile segment is known as a local access tail.
Dedicated connections include service level agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing uptime and fault resolution times. They also offer features like Resilience Option 2 (RO2) – delivering dual Ethernet services with diverse routing end-to-end – to maximise resilience in the last mile.
Why is the last mile crucial for your business?
The last mile is critical for your business because your connection is only as good as the last mile – your network’s speed and reliability depend on it.
First, a slow or congested last-mile network can reduce speed and increase latency, disrupting video conferencing, cloud applications and real-time transactions. Fast, reliable last-mile access is essential to maintain productivity and user experience for your staff and customers.
Second, unreliable last-mile connections can lead to network outages, significantly impacting business operations. In 2023, UK businesses were hit by 50.5 million hours of internet downtime, resulting in an estimated financial loss of £3.7bn.
In short, the last mile dictates the internet speeds you get, and it can be a single point of failure for your communications.
Last-mile connectivity challenges
If you’re looking to upgrade your business’s connectivity or extend your footprint across the UK, choosing the right last-mile solution presents several challenges:
- Legacy infrastructure: While full fibre connectivity is being rolled out across the UK, a significant urban/rural divide remains. In 2024, 84% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in urban areas of England had access to gigabit-capable coverage compared to 53% of SMEs in rural areas.
- Limited choice: Many major network providers only offer their own last-mile access tails. This can mean less flexibility and higher costs when you need scalable or multi-site connectivity.
- Lack of redundancy: Relying on a single last-mile connection leaves your business vulnerable to outages, maintenance or damage. Diverse routing ensures backup paths to prevent disruptions and keep your operations running.
- Poor customer service: Arranging last-mile installations can be challenging, especially with large providers. Slow lead, deployment and support response times can leave you and your customers waiting for a business-critical connection.
While the last mile can be a challenge, the right provider can help you secure a fast, resilient and scalable connection that meets your business needs.
Choosing the right last-mile connectivity provider
If you’re looking to upgrade your business connectivity, here’s what to look for when evaluating last-mile providers.
Choice of last-mile access
A provider with multiple last-mile options allows you to select the best speed, reliability and cost for your business. Choose a company that offers various local access tails, not just their own.
Scalability for growth
Your provider should be able to scale up your connection, whether you need to boost bandwidth or add new locations. Choose a provider with the reach and flexibility to expand your network as you grow.
Redundancy and resilience
Look for a provider with an extensive and reliable core network with options for redundancy and resilience in the last mile. Features like bespoke diverse routing and RO2 can help to eliminate single points of failure.
Guaranteed performance
Check your provider has stringent SLAs. Resilient services like Ethernet with MPLS routing should offer at least 99.9% uptime guarantees, quick fault resolution and compensation for failures.
Customer support
Finally, many large providers often have long lead times and slow support. Coordinating the installation and maintenance of your last mile can be a headache. Choose a trustworthy provider with a reputation for customer service and easy online quoting and ordering.
Last-mile connectivity solutions
At Neos Networks, we pride ourselves on connecting the most complex locations with bespoke customer service across the UK. We deliver critical networks for businesses nationwide with last-mile access you can trust, giving you:
- Network reach: Connect across our UK-wide B2B-only core network.
- Choice: Choose between various third-party access tails, including Openreach, BT Wholesale, Sky, PXC, CityFibre, Vorboss, Colt and Virgin Media Business.
- Scalability: Scale up with DIA (10Mbps-10Gbps), Business Ethernet (10Mbps-100Gbps) or Optical Wavelengths (10Gbps-400Gbps+).
- Resilience: Leverage our MPLS core network with multiple diverse peering providers plus RO2 options for maximum resilience.
- Reliability: Get guaranteed bandwidth and up to 99.95% uptime SLAs.
- Support: Enjoy 24/7 technical support and industry-leading customer service – leave the last-mile headaches to us.
Get a quick quote online for DIA, Business Ethernet or Optical Wavelengths with LIVEQUOTE, our digital pricing and ordering tool:
Get a quote with LIVEQUOTE
Or if you want to discuss your options, get in touch. We’ll be happy to make last-mile connectivity work for your business.
Last-mile connectivity FAQs
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Last mile vs middle mile vs first mile: what’s the difference in networking?
The last mile is the final segment that links your business premises to the provider’s local infrastructure, directly affecting speed and reliability.
The middle mile refers to the high-speed backbone that transmits data between regions, connecting local networks to the broader internet.
The definition of the first mile varies. Some use it to refer to the same as the last mile but from the perspective of the network service provider or ISP. Others define it as the connection between the provider’s core network and the broader internet or data centres.
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How does last-mile connectivity affect internet speed and reliability?
The last mile is often the biggest bottleneck in a network, directly impacting your connection’s speed and reliability. For example, if your last-mile connection is a shared broadband connection, your speeds will be slower than a dedicated, uncontended connection like a leased line.
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Why are last-mile access networks crucial for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things and smart cities?
Reliable last-mile connections are vital for emerging technologies like AI, IoT and smart cities because they rely on high capacity, low latency connections to support real-time data exchange. For instance, AI applications processing real-time data in edge networks depend on fast, reliable last-mile connectivity to deliver instant insights and automation.
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Does last-mile connectivity impact cybersecurity?
Yes, last-mile access networks can be a security risk if not properly protected, especially with shared broadband or wireless connections. Consider a dedicated last-mile connection for greater security, or use a VPN, encryption or firewalls to secure data in transit.