Bit per second to Gigabit per second Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert bits per second to gigabits per second with our free online data transfer converter.
Bit per second to Gigabit per second Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Bit per second).
- The converted value in Gigabit per second will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Transfer category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Bit per second to Gigabit per second
Converting Bit per second to Gigabit per second involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Bit per second = 1.0000e-9 gigabits per secondExample Calculation:
Convert 1000 bits per second: 1000 × 1.0000e-9 = 1.0000e-6 gigabits per second
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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What is a Bit per second and a Gigabit per second?
A bit per second (bps or b/s) is the fundamental unit used to measure data transfer rate (also known as bitrate or bandwidth). It quantifies the number of individual bits (the smallest unit of digital information, a 0 or 1) that are transmitted or processed over a communication channel in one second.
A gigabit per second (Gbps or Gbit/s) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000,000 bits per second, 1,000 megabits per second, or 1 million kilobits per second. It uses the standard SI prefix "giga-" (G), which represents a factor of 109 or one billion.
Note: The Bit per second is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Gigabit per second belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Bit per second and Gigabit per second
The concept of measuring data transmission speed in bits per second arose with the advent of digital communications and computing. Early telecommunication systems, like telegraphy and teletypewriters, used related measures like baud rate (symbols per second). As digital technology evolved, focusing on the actual number of bits transferred became more precise and standard, leading to the widespread adoption of bps and its multiples (kbps, Mbps, Gbps) for quantifying network speeds, internet connections, and data throughput.
Gigabit per second speeds became prominent with the development of Gigabit Ethernet standards (like 1000BASE-T) in the late 1990s and early 2000s, significantly increasing local network speeds. The proliferation of fiber optic internet connections (FTTH - Fiber to the Home) further established Gbps as a common measure for high-speed internet access for consumers and businesses. Like its predecessors (kbps, Mbps), the prefix "giga-" in data transfer rates consistently refers to the decimal value (1,000,000,000), maintaining clarity compared to the binary/decimal ambiguity sometimes found in data storage units (GB vs GiB).
Common Uses for bits per second and gigabits per second
Explore the typical applications for both Bit per second (imperial/US) and Gigabit per second (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for bits per second
- Base Unit: Serves as the foundational unit for all other data transfer rate measurements (kbps, Mbps, Gbps, Tbps).
- Low-Speed Communication: Historically used to describe the speeds of early modems (e.g., 300 bps, 1200 bps, 2400 bps).
- Serial Interfaces: Sometimes used to specify the speed of basic serial communication ports (though higher rates are now common).
- Audio/Video Encoding: Bitrates for low-quality audio or specific encoding parameters might be expressed directly in bps or kbps.
- Theoretical Calculations: Used in networking and information theory calculations as the base unit.
Common Uses for gigabits per second
Gigabits per second (Gbps) is used to measure very high data transfer rates:
- High-Speed Internet: Fiber optic internet plans commonly offer speeds of 1 Gbps or higher.
- Local Area Network (LAN) Backbones: Used for high-traffic links within corporate networks or data centers.
- Data Center Networking: Standard for server-to-server communication and connections to storage area networks (SANs).
- Network Switches and Routers: High-performance network hardware often has ports rated in Gbps (e.g., 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, 100 Gbps).
- High-Definition Video Transfer: Transferring large video files or streaming multiple high-resolution video streams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Bit per second (bps)
What is the difference between bps (bits per second) and Bps (Bytes per second)?
- bps (bits per second): Measures the rate of data transfer in individual bits. Network speeds and internet connection bandwidth are almost always advertised in bits per second (or its multiples like Mbps, Gbps).
- Bps (Bytes per second): Measures the rate of data transfer in Bytes (where 1 Byte = 8 bits). File transfer speeds in applications (like web browsers or FTP clients) are often displayed in Bytes per second (or its multiples like KB/s, MB/s). To convert Bps to bps, multiply by 8. To convert bps to Bps, divide by 8. For example, a 100 Mbps internet connection has a theoretical maximum download speed of 12.5 MB/s (100 / 8 = 12.5).
How does bps relate to kbps, Mbps, and Gbps?
These are multiples of bits per second based on SI (decimal) prefixes:
- 1 kbps (kilobit per second) = 1,000 bps
- 1 Mbps (megabit per second) = 1,000 kbps = 1,000,000 bps
- 1 Gbps (gigabit per second) = 1,000 Mbps = 1,000,000,000 bps
- 1 Tbps (terabit per second) = 1,000 Gbps = 1,000,000,000,000 bps
Is bps used for binary prefixes (like kibibits)?
No, data transfer rates almost universally use the standard SI decimal prefixes (kilo, mega, giga). While data storage often involves binary prefixes (kibibyte, mebibyte), data transfer rates stick to the decimal system (kilobit, megabit). So, 1 kbps is always 1000 bps, not 1024 bps.
About Gigabit per second (Gbps)
How many bits per second (bps) are in a gigabit per second (Gbps)?
There are exactly 1,000,000,000 bits per second (bps) in 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). This follows the standard SI definition of the prefix 'giga-'.
How many megabits per second (Mbps) are in a gigabit per second (Gbps)?
There are exactly 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) in 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
What is the difference between Gbps (gigabits per second) and GB/s (Gigabytes per second)?
These units measure data transfer rate differently:
- Gbps (gigabits per second): Measures the rate in bits. Standard for advertising network speeds, especially high-speed internet and network hardware capabilities.
- GB/s (Gigabytes per second): Measures the rate in bytes. Often used to describe the throughput of very high-speed interfaces like PCIe buses, fast SSDs, or high-performance computing interconnects.
Since 1 byte = 8 bits: 1 GB/s = 8 Gbps Therefore, a speed expressed in GB/s is 8 times faster than the same number expressed in Gbps. For example, a network speed of 10 Gbps has a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 1.25 GB/s (10 / 8 = 1.25).
Is Gbps related to Gibibits (Gib)?
While both use the 'giga'/'gibi' scale, they differ significantly:
- Gbps (Gigabit per second): A rate based on decimal gigabits (1 Gb = 109 bits = 1,000,000,000 bits). Used for data transfer speeds.
- Gib (Gibibit): A unit of data storage based on binary prefixes (1 Gib = 230 bits = 1,073,741,824 bits). Used for precise memory/storage measurement. A "Gibibit per second" (Gibps) is not a standard unit for data transfer rates, which consistently use decimal prefixes.
Is Gbps based on 1,000,000,000 or 1,073,741,824 bits?
Gigabits per second (Gbps) is always based on the decimal prefix 'giga-', meaning 1,000,000,000 bits per second. Data transfer rates (bps, kbps, Mbps, Gbps, Tbps) consistently use the standard SI decimal prefixes (powers of 1000). The binary multiple (230 = 1,073,741,824) relates to data storage units like the Gibibyte (GiB) or Gibibit (Gib).
Conversion Table: Bit per second to Gigabit per second
| Bit per second (bps) | Gigabit per second (Gbps) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 5 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 |
| 25 | 0 |
| 50 | 0 |
| 100 | 0 |
| 500 | 0 |
| 1,000 | 0 |