Petabyte to Megabit Converter
Convert petabytes to megabits with our free online data storage converter.
Quick Answer
1 Petabyte = 8000000000 megabits
Formula: Petabyte × conversion factor = Megabit
Use the calculator below for instant, accurate conversions.
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All conversion formulas on UnitsConverter.io have been verified against NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines and international SI standards. Our calculations are accurate to 10 decimal places for standard conversions and use arbitrary precision arithmetic for astronomical units.
Petabyte to Megabit Calculator
How to Use the Petabyte to Megabit Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Petabyte).
- The converted value in Megabit will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Storage category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Petabyte to Megabit: Step-by-Step Guide
Converting Petabyte to Megabit involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Petabyte = 8000000000 megabitsExample Calculation:
Convert 10 petabytes: 10 × 8000000000 = 80000000000 megabits
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
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Need to convert to other data storage units?
View all Data Storage conversions →What is a Petabyte and a Megabit?
A petabyte (PB) is a multiple of the byte unit for digital information storage. The prefix peta- (symbol P) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 1015 (1 quadrillion, or 1 followed by 15 zeros). Therefore, 1 petabyte = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes. This is equivalent to 1,000 terabytes (TB) or 1,000,000 gigabytes (GB). The petabyte is distinct from the pebibyte (PiB), which uses the binary prefix 'pebi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and equals 250 bytes.
A megabit (Mb or Mbit) is a multiple of the bit unit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix mega- (symbol M) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 106 (1 million). Therefore, 1 megabit = 1,000,000 bits (or 1000 kilobits).
Note: The Petabyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Megabit belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Petabyte and Megabit
The prefix 'peta-' originates from the Greek word "pente," meaning five (as 1015 = 10005), and was officially adopted as an SI prefix in 1975. In computing and data storage, the term 'petabyte' became necessary as data volumes grew exponentially beyond the terabyte scale in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Initially, like other SI prefixes (kilo-, mega-, giga-, tera-), 'peta-' was sometimes ambiguously used by some to refer to the nearest power of 2 (250). However, the formal adoption of binary prefixes like 'pebi-' (Pi) by the IEC in 1998 aimed to resolve this confusion, clarifying that petabyte (PB) should strictly refer to 1015 bytes, while pebibyte (PiB) refers to 250 bytes. Despite standardization, the term PB is still sometimes used loosely in casual contexts, but in technical specifications and marketing, PB almost always means 1015 bytes.
As data transfer speeds increased beyond the kilobit range, the megabit became a common unit, particularly in networking and telecommunications. Like the kilobit, it generally adheres to the SI standard (106 bits) rather than the binary interpretation sometimes used for bytes (which would be 220 bits, correctly termed a mebibit). The introduction of binary prefixes like 'mebi-' aimed to resolve this potential ambiguity.
Common Uses and Applications: petabytes vs megabits
Explore the typical applications for both Petabyte (imperial/US) and Megabit (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for petabytes
Petabytes are used to quantify extremely large amounts of digital storage and data:
- Capacity of large-scale data centers, cloud storage platforms (e.g., Google Drive, AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage), and enterprise storage systems.
- Big data analytics, involving the processing and storage of vast datasets for scientific research (like genomics, particle physics, astronomy), business intelligence, and machine learning model training.
- National digital archives, large media libraries, and corporate data repositories storing historical records, high-resolution multimedia content, or extensive backups.
- High-performance computing (HPC) environments managing massive simulation outputs or experimental data collections.
- Large-scale video surveillance systems storing continuous high-resolution footage from numerous cameras.
- Quantifying the total amount of data generated globally or traversing major internet backbones over periods.
When to Use megabits
- Measuring data transfer rates (e.g., internet connection speeds in Mbps - megabits per second).
- Quantifying network bandwidth.
- Specifying the capacity of older storage media or certain types of memory chips.
- Video and audio bitrates (e.g., streaming quality often measured in Mbps).
Additional Unit Information
About Petabyte (PB)
How many bytes are in a petabyte (PB)?
There are exactly 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes (one quadrillion bytes, or 1015 bytes) in 1 petabyte (PB), according to the standard SI definition of the prefix 'peta-'.
How many terabytes (TB) are in a petabyte (PB)?
There are 1,000 terabytes (TB) in 1 petabyte (PB). This follows the SI prefixes where each prefix increases by a factor of 1,000: 1 PB = 1015 bytes and 1 TB = 1012 bytes. Therefore, 1 PB / 1 TB = 1015 / 1012 = 103 = 1,000.
What is the difference between a petabyte (PB) and a pebibyte (PiB)?
- A petabyte (PB) uses the decimal SI prefix 'peta-' and equals 1015 bytes (1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes). It is commonly used in storage marketing and cloud capacity definitions.
- A pebibyte (PiB) uses the binary IEC prefix 'pebi-' and equals 250 bytes (1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes). It is used for precise measurement in technical contexts where powers of 2 are relevant (like OS reporting or memory architecture).
A pebibyte is approximately 12.6% larger than a petabyte (1 PiB ≈ 1.126 PB).
What is the difference between a petabyte (PB) and a petabit (Pb)?
- A petabyte (PB) measures data storage capacity in bytes and equals 1015 bytes.
- A petabit (Pb) measures data quantity or data transfer speed in bits and equals 1015 bits.
Assuming the standard definition of 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 petabyte (PB) is equal to 8 petabits (Pb). Calculation: 1 PB = 1015 bytes = 1015 * 8 bits = 8 * 1015 bits = 8 Pb. Therefore, a petabyte represents 8 times more data storage capacity than the equivalent number of petabits.
Why is PB often used in marketing instead of PiB?
Storage manufacturers typically market drive and system capacities using the decimal prefix petabyte (PB) because 1015 bytes yields a larger, rounder number compared to the equivalent value expressed using the binary prefix pebibyte (PiB) (which is 250 bytes). For instance, a storage system containing exactly 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes is advertised as 1 PB. If measured in pebibytes, this same physical capacity would be approximately 0.888 PiB (since 1015 / 250 ≈ 0.888). Using PB allows manufacturers to present higher capacity figures, which is advantageous for marketing. This often leads to discrepancies where users see a marketed capacity in PB (or TB, GB) but their operating system reports a lower number when using binary calculations (often labeled GiB/TiB/PiB, or sometimes confusingly still labeled GB/TB/PB).
About Megabit (Mb)
How many bits are in a megabit?
There are exactly 1,000,000 bits (or 106 bits) in 1 megabit (Mb), based on the standard SI definition of the prefix 'mega-'.
What is the difference between a megabit (Mb) and a megabyte (MB)?
- A megabit (Mb) measures bits and equals 1,000,000 bits. It's often used for data transfer rates.
- A megabyte (MB) measures bytes. According to SI standards, it equals 1,000,000 bytes. (Note: Historically, MB was sometimes used informally for 1,048,576 bytes, which is correctly termed a mebibyte (MiB)).
Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 megabyte (1,000,000 bytes) is equal to 8,000,000 bits. Therefore, a megabyte represents 8 times more data than a megabit.
What is the difference between a megabit (Mb) and a mebibit (Mib)?
- A megabit (Mb) uses the decimal SI prefix 'mega-' and equals 106 bits (1,000,000 bits).
- A mebibit (Mib) uses the binary IEC prefix 'mebi-' and equals 220 bits (1,048,576 bits).
A mebibit is approximately 4.86% larger than a megabit (1 Mib ≈ 1.0486 Mb). Using Mib provides clarity when specifically referring to 1,048,576 bits.
If my internet speed is 100 Mbps, how fast is that in MBps?
To convert Mbps (megabits per second) to MBps (megabytes per second), you divide by 8 (since 1 byte = 8 bits). So, 100 Mbps / 8 = 12.5 MBps. This means you can theoretically download 12.5 megabytes of data per second.
Conversion Table: Petabyte to Megabit
| Petabyte (PB) | Megabit (Mb) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 4,000,000,000 |
| 1 | 8,000,000,000 |
| 1.5 | 12,000,000,000 |
| 2 | 16,000,000,000 |
| 5 | 40,000,000,000 |
| 10 | 80,000,000,000 |
| 25 | 200,000,000,000 |
| 50 | 400,000,000,000 |
| 100 | 800,000,000,000 |
| 250 | 2,000,000,000,000 |
| 500 | 4,000,000,000,000 |
| 1,000 | 8,000,000,000,000 |
People Also Ask
How do I convert Petabyte to Megabit?
To convert Petabyte to Megabit, enter the value in Petabyte in the calculator above. The conversion will happen automatically. Use our free online converter for instant and accurate results. You can also visit our data storage converter page to convert between other units in this category.
Learn more →What is the conversion factor from Petabyte to Megabit?
The conversion factor depends on the specific relationship between Petabyte and Megabit. You can find the exact conversion formula and factor on this page. Our calculator handles all calculations automatically. See the conversion table above for common values.
Can I convert Megabit back to Petabyte?
Yes! You can easily convert Megabit back to Petabyte by using the swap button (⇌) in the calculator above, or by visiting our Megabit to Petabyte converter page. You can also explore other data storage conversions on our category page.
Learn more →What are common uses for Petabyte and Megabit?
Petabyte and Megabit are both standard units used in data storage measurements. They are commonly used in various applications including engineering, construction, cooking, and scientific research. Browse our data storage converter for more conversion options.
For more data storage conversion questions, visit our FAQ page or explore our conversion guides.
Helpful Conversion Guides
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📚 How to Convert Units
Step-by-step guide to unit conversion with practical examples.
🔢 Conversion Formulas
Essential formulas for data storage and other conversions.
⚖️ Metric vs Imperial
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⚠️ Common Mistakes
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All Data Storage Conversions
Other Data Storage Units and Conversions
Explore other data storage units and their conversion options:
- Bit (b) • Petabyte to Bit
- Byte (B) • Petabyte to Byte
- Kilobit (kb) • Petabyte to Kilobit
- Kilobyte (KB) • Petabyte to Kilobyte
- Megabyte (MB) • Petabyte to Megabyte
- Gigabit (Gb) • Petabyte to Gigabit
- Gigabyte (GB) • Petabyte to Gigabyte
- Terabit (Tb) • Petabyte to Terabit
- Terabyte (TB) • Petabyte to Terabyte
- Petabit (Pb) • Petabyte to Petabit
Verified Against Authority Standards
All conversion formulas have been verified against international standards and authoritative sources to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability.
International Electrotechnical Commission — Binary prefixes for digital storage (KiB, MiB, GiB)
International Organization for Standardization — International standards for quantities and units
Last verified: December 3, 2025