Data Rate Converter
Bits per second
Definition: Bits per second (symbol: bps or b/s) is the fundamental unit of data transfer rate. It measures the number of bits (zeros and ones) transmitted over a digital network in one second.
History/origin: Measuring data transmission in bits per second dates back to the very early days of computing and telecommunications, forming the basis for assessing modem speeds and network bandwidth.
Current use: While a single bit per second is too slow for practical use today, it remains the mathematical base unit from which all modern network speeds (Kbps, Mbps, Gbps) are calculated.
Kilobits per second
Definition: A kilobit per second (symbol: kbps) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000 bits per second.
History/origin: Kbps was the standard metric for measuring the speed of dial-up modems (e.g., 28.8 kbps, 56 kbps) in the 1980s and 1990s.
Current use: Today, kbps is rarely used for internet connections but is widely used to specify the bitrate (quality) of compressed audio files, such as 320 kbps MP3s or 128 kbps streaming audio.
Bits per second to Kilobits per second Conversion Table
| Bits per second [bps] | Kilobits per second [kbps] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 bps | 0.00001 kbps |
| 0.1 bps | 0.0001 kbps |
| 1 bps | 0.001 kbps |
| 2 bps | 0.002 kbps |
| 3 bps | 0.003 kbps |
| 5 bps | 0.005 kbps |
| 10 bps | 0.01 kbps |
| 20 bps | 0.02 kbps |
| 50 bps | 0.05 kbps |
| 100 bps | 0.1 kbps |
| 1000 bps | 1 kbps |
How to Convert Bits per second to Kilobits per second
1 bps = 0.001 kbps
1 kbps = 1000 bps
Example: convert 15 bps to kbps:
15 bps = 15 × 0.001 kbps = 0.015 kbps
Did You Know?
- The term "bit" is a portmanteau of "binary digit." It is the most basic unit of information in computing, representing either a 0 or a 1.
- In the late 1990s, standard dial-up internet speeds maxed out at 56 kbps. Today, average broadband connections are thousands of times faster!