Megabit per second to Gigabit per second Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert megabits per second to gigabits per second with our free online data transfer converter.
Megabit per second to Gigabit per second Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Megabit 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 Megabit per second to Gigabit per second
Converting Megabit per second to Gigabit per second involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Megabit per second = 0.001 gigabits per secondExample Calculation:
Convert 1000 megabits per second: 1000 × 0.001 = 1 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 Megabit per second and a Gigabit per second?
A megabit per second (Mbps or Mbit/s) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000 bits per second or 1,000 kilobits per second. It uses the standard SI prefix "mega-" (M), which represents a factor of 106 or one million.
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 Megabit 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 Megabit per second and Gigabit per second
The megabit per second became a common unit with the widespread adoption of broadband internet technologies (like DSL and cable) and faster local area network standards such as Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As internet speeds and network capacities increased beyond the kilobit range, Mbps provided a more convenient measure. Like kbps, the prefix "mega-" in data transfer rates consistently refers to the decimal value (1,000,000), avoiding the binary confusion sometimes seen with data storage units (MB vs MiB).
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 megabits per second and gigabits per second
Explore the typical applications for both Megabit per second (imperial/US) and Gigabit per second (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for megabits per second
Megabits per second (Mbps) is the standard unit for measuring many modern data communication speeds:
- Internet Connection Speeds: Most broadband, cable, fiber optic, and mobile (4G/5G) internet plans are advertised in Mbps.
- Wi-Fi Network Speeds: Wireless router capabilities and actual throughput are often measured in Mbps.
- Video Streaming: Required bandwidth for streaming services is specified in Mbps (e.g., ~5 Mbps for HD, ~25 Mbps for 4K).
- File Downloads/Uploads: Network transfer speeds during large file transfers are typically monitored in Mbps (though applications might display MB/s).
- Local Area Network (LAN) Speeds: Common Ethernet standards operate at 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) or 1000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet).
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 Megabit per second (Mbps)
How many bits per second (bps) are in a megabit per second (Mbps)?
There are exactly 1,000,000 bits per second (bps) in 1 megabit per second (Mbps). This follows the standard SI definition of the prefix 'mega-'.
What is the difference between Mbps and Gbps?
Gbps (Gigabit per second) is a larger unit of data transfer rate.
- 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bps
- 1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps = 1,000,000,000 bps Therefore, 1 Gbps is 1,000 times faster than 1 Mbps. High-speed internet connections and network backbones are often measured in Gbps.
What is the difference between Mbps (megabits per second) and MB/s (Megabytes per second)?
These units measure data transfer rate differently:
- Mbps (megabits per second): Measures the rate in bits. Standard for advertising network speeds and connection bandwidth.
- MB/s (Megabytes per second): Measures the rate in bytes. Often used by software (like browsers, download managers) to show actual file transfer speeds.
Since 1 byte = 8 bits: 1 MB/s = 8 Mbps Therefore, a speed expressed in MB/s is 8 times faster than the same number expressed in Mbps. For example, an internet connection of 100 Mbps has a theoretical maximum download speed of 12.5 MB/s (100 / 8 = 12.5).
Is Mbps based on 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bits?
Megabits per second (Mbps) is always based on the decimal prefix 'mega-', meaning 1,000,000 bits per second. Data transfer rates (bps, kbps, Mbps, Gbps) consistently use the standard SI decimal prefixes (powers of 1000). The binary multiple (220 = 1,048,576) relates to data storage units like the Mebibyte (MiB).
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: Megabit per second to Gigabit per second
| Megabit per second (Mbps) | Gigabit per second (Gbps) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 |
| 5 | 0.005 |
| 10 | 0.01 |
| 25 | 0.025 |
| 50 | 0.05 |
| 100 | 0.1 |
| 500 | 0.5 |
| 1,000 | 1 |