bits per second
Transmission rate unit
Bits per second is a measure of data transfer speed—how many binary digits (ones and zeros) move through a connection each second.
Usually abbreviated bps, it appears with metric prefixes for larger quantities: kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (Mbps), gigabits per second (Gbps).
Internet speeds are typically advertised in megabits per second: My connection is 100 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload.
Not to be confused with bytes per second—eight bits make one byte.
- bandwidthData transmission capacity
- data rateInformation transfer speed
- megabitMillion bits
- kilobitThousand-bit digital unit
- throughputProcessing rate over time
download · download speed · upload · upload speed · modem · data · transfer · speed · streaming · connection · slow connection · gigabit · transfer speed · baud · fiber · buffering · file transfer · broadband
- compound unitskilowatt hour, watt hour, kilometers per hour, miles per hour, gallons per minute
- Bandwidthbandwidth limit, bit rate, bitrate, bps, data rate