What is a Megabit per Second?

Megabits per second (Mbps) is the standard unit for internet speeds, network bandwidth, and ISP connection ratings. Note: Mbps is megabits, not megabytes — the ratio is 8 bits per byte, so 100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s download speed. Modern broadband home connections typically offer 100–1,000 Mbps download speeds, fiber-optic connections reach 1,000–10,000 Mbps (1–10 Gbps), and mobile 5G networks deliver 100–1,000+ Mbps. Internet streaming services recommend minimum speeds: HD video needs about 5 Mbps, 4K video needs 25 Mbps, and competitive online gaming benefits from 30+ Mbps with low latency. The Mbps relates to the megabyte per second (1 Mbps = 0.125 MB/s), the gigabit per second (1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps), and the kilobit per second (1 Mbps = 1,000 kbps). The ITU and IEEE standardize network protocols using Mbps and multiples.

Visual reference for how the megabit per second relates to other data units. Each row links to the full converter for that pair.

• Internet broadband speed advertising
• Network interface card ratings (1 Gbps NIC)
• Wi-Fi throughput specifications

• ✓1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bits/s = 125 kB/s.
• ✓Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s approximate.
• ✓Real-world speeds are usually 50–80% of advertised peak.

• ✗Expecting 100 Mbps to deliver 100 MB/s — 8× overstatement.
• ✗Confusing Mbps (bits) and MBps (bytes) — capitalisation matters.
• ✗Comparing Wi-Fi speed (theoretical) with actual throughput.