Kilobit per second to Bit per second Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert kilobits per second to bits per second with our free online data transfer converter.
Kilobit per second to Bit per second Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Kilobit per second).
- The converted value in Bit 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 Kilobit per second to Bit per second
Converting Kilobit per second to Bit per second involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Kilobit per second = 1000 bits per secondExample Calculation:
Convert 1000 kilobits per second: 1000 × 1000 = 1000000 bits 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.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Kilobit per second and a Bit per second?
A kilobit per second (kbps or kbit/s) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000 bits per second. It uses the standard SI prefix "kilo-" (k), which represents a factor of 103 or one thousand.
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.
Note: The Kilobit per second is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Bit per second belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Kilobit per second and Bit per second
The term "kilobit per second" became common with the rise of digital telecommunications and computer networking. Unlike data storage units (like the kilobyte), where "kilo" was sometimes ambiguously used to mean 1024, in the context of data transmission rates, "kilo" has consistently adhered to the standard SI definition of 1000. This standardization was crucial for interoperability between different network equipment and service providers.
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.
Common Uses for kilobits per second and bits per second
Explore the typical applications for both Kilobit per second (imperial/US) and Bit per second (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for kilobits per second
Kilobits per second (kbps) is frequently used to measure the speed of data communication links:
- Internet Connection Speeds: Historically used for dial-up modems, ISDN lines, and early broadband services. Still relevant for some mobile data connections or lower-tier internet plans.
- Audio Streaming: Measuring the bitrate (quality) of compressed audio files like MP3s (e.g., 128 kbps, 192 kbps, 320 kbps). Higher kbps generally means better audio quality but larger file size.
- Voice Communication: Used in telephony and Voice over IP (VoIP) systems to specify the bandwidth required for a voice call.
- Low-Bandwidth Video: Bitrates for very low-resolution or highly compressed video streams.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Kilobit per second (Kbps)
How many bits per second (bps) are in a kilobit per second (kbps)?
There are exactly 1,000 bits per second (bps) in 1 kilobit per second (kbps). This follows the standard SI definition of the prefix 'kilo-'.
What is the difference between kbps and Mbps?
Mbps (Megabit per second) is a larger unit of data transfer rate.
- 1 kbps = 1,000 bps
- 1 Mbps = 1,000 kbps = 1,000,000 bps Therefore, 1 Mbps is 1,000 times faster than 1 kbps. Modern internet speeds are typically measured in Mbps or even Gbps (Gigabit per second).
What is the difference between kbps (kilobits per second) and KB/s (Kilobytes per second)?
These units measure different things, although both relate to data speed:
- kbps (kilobits per second): Measures the rate of transfer in bits. Used commonly for network speeds and streaming bitrates.
- KB/s (Kilobytes per second): Measures the rate of transfer in bytes. Often used for file download speeds shown in browsers or download managers.
Since 1 byte = 8 bits: 1 KB/s = 8 kbps Therefore, a speed expressed in KB/s is 8 times faster than the same number expressed in kbps. For example, a download speed of 100 KB/s is equivalent to 800 kbps.
Is kbps based on 1000 or 1024 bits?
Kilobits per second (kbps) is always based on the decimal prefix 'kilo-', meaning 1000 bits per second. Unlike the historical ambiguity with kilobytes (KB) in data storage (which sometimes meant 1024 bytes, correctly KiB), data transfer rates like kbps, Mbps, and Gbps consistently use the standard SI decimal prefixes (powers of 1000).
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.
Conversion Table: Kilobit per second to Bit per second
| Kilobit per second (Kbps) | Bit per second (bps) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 500 | 500,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |