Megabit per second to Kilobit per second Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert megabits per second to kilobits per second with our free online data transfer converter.
Megabit per second to Kilobit 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 Kilobit 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 Kilobit per second
Converting Megabit per second to Kilobit per second involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Megabit per second = 1000 kilobits per secondExample Calculation:
Convert 1000 megabits per second: 1000 × 1000 = 1000000 kilobits 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 Kilobit 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 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.
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 Kilobit per second belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Megabit per second and Kilobit 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).
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.
Common Uses for megabits per second and kilobits per second
Explore the typical applications for both Megabit per second (imperial/US) and Kilobit 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 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.
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 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).
Conversion Table: Megabit per second to Kilobit per second
| Megabit per second (Mbps) | Kilobit per second (Kbps) |
|---|---|
| 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 |