Data Transfer Rate Converter
Convert between bits per second, kilobits, megabits, gigabits, and more data rate units.
Quick Reference β 1 unit = ? Kilobits per Second (kbps)
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Bits per Second (bps) | 0.001 |
| Kilobits per Second (kbps) | 1 |
| Megabits per Second (Mbps) | 1000 |
| Gigabits per Second (Gbps) | 1000000 |
| Terabits per Second (Tbps) | 1000000000 |
| Bytes per Second (B/s) | 0.008 |
| Kilobytes per Second (KB/s) | 8 |
| Megabytes per Second (MB/s) | 8000 |
Formula
Multiply by (from factor / to factor)
Everyday Uses
Internet speed reality
"100 Mbps" broadband downloads at 12.5 MB/s β convert bits to bytes and know how long that 4 GB file really takes.
Streaming requirements
4K needs ~25 Mbps β convert your plan's speed to see how many simultaneous streams your household supports.
Upload time estimates
Sending 500 MB on a 10 Mbps upload? Convert and compute β about 7 minutes, not the seconds you hoped.
Comparing ISP plans
Providers mix Mbps, MB/s, and GB caps deliberately β convert everything to one unit and compare fairly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my internet speed in Mbps but my download speed shows MB/s?
Internet service providers advertise speeds in megabits per second (Mbps); browsers and download managers show progress in megabytes per second (MB/s). Since 1 byte = 8 bits, divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s. A 100 Mbps plan delivers ~12.5 MB/s maximum. A 1 Gbps (gigabit) fibre plan = 125 MB/s. A 50 Mbps plan = ~6.25 MB/s. So a 1 GB file download takes: on 50 Mbps β 160 seconds; on 1 Gbps β 8 seconds.
What are typical internet speeds and what do they support?
Speed requirements by use case: 5 Mbps β standard definition video streaming (Netflix SD). 15β25 Mbps β HD video streaming (1080p). 25 Mbps β recommended minimum for 4K Netflix. 50 Mbps β comfortable for a household of 2β3 people. 100 Mbps β suitable for heavy use (4K, gaming, video calls). 500 Mbpsβ1 Gbps β fast fibre for power users or households with many devices. Upload speeds matter for video calls and cloud backups β many "100 Mbps" plans only offer 10β20 Mbps upload.
What is the difference between Mbps and MBps (capital vs. lowercase b)?
Mbps = megabits per second (lowercase b = bit). MBps = megabytes per second (uppercase B = byte). This 8Γ difference is one of the most common sources of confusion in networking. A USB 3.0 drive rated at 500 MB/s (megabytes) = 4,000 Mbps = 4 Gbps. Ethernet cables: Cat 5e = 1 Gbps = 125 MB/s; Cat 6 = 10 Gbps = 1,250 MB/s. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) theoretical max: 9.6 Gbps = 1,200 MB/s. Real-world speeds are always lower due to overhead and interference.
How fast is 5G compared to 4G LTE and home fibre?
4G LTE typical real-world speed: 10β50 Mbps download (up to 150 Mbps peak). 5G Sub-6 GHz (most common 5G): 100β300 Mbps typical; up to 1 Gbps peak. 5G mmWave (dense urban, short range): up to 10 Gbps theoretical; 1β4 Gbps real-world. Home fibre (FTTP): 100 Mbpsβ10 Gbps depending on plan. So mid-band 5G is roughly 3β10Γ faster than 4G LTE and competitive with average home broadband. 5G latency is also significantly lower: ~1β10 ms vs 30β50 ms for 4G.
What data transfer rates are needed for different storage media?
Read/write speed benchmarks: USB 2.0: 60 MB/s max (480 Mbps). USB 3.0/3.1: 625 MB/s (5 Gbps). USB 3.2 Gen 2Γ2: 2,500 MB/s (20 Gbps). Thunderbolt 4/USB4: 5,000 MB/s (40 Gbps). SATA SSD: ~550 MB/s sequential read. NVMe M.2 SSD: 3,500β7,000 MB/s. Hard disk drive (HDD): 100β200 MB/s. Blu-ray disc: ~72 Mbps = 9 MB/s. These speeds determine how long it takes to transfer large files: a 100 GB file on USB 3.0 takes ~2.7 minutes; on HDD ~8.3 minutes; on NVMe SSD ~14 seconds.