A gigabit, often abbreviated as Gb, is a unit of digital information storage that is equivalent to 1 billion bits. While it may sound like a lot, gigabits are most frequently used to measure internet speeds rather than storage capacities. In the realm of internet connectivity, when you see a service offering speeds up to “1 Gbps,” it means you could, theoretically, download a standard high-definition movie in just a few seconds, assuming optimal conditions. As digital content continues to grow in size and quality, gigabit internet connections have become sought after for smoother streaming, faster downloads, and more responsive online gaming experiences.
Interestingly, 1,000 gigabits—often confused with gigabytes (which you’ll notice with a capital “B”)—make up a terabit, a scale more commonly seen in the data bandwidths of major data centers or in the transfers between colossal tech infrastructures. This shift in demand emphasizes the transformative impact that gigabit technology has had on both personal and global data consumption.
The megabit, commonly abbreviated as Mb, is a unit of digital information that is widely used to measure data transfer rates, such as internet speed. It equals one million bits. A common misconception is confusing megabits with megabytes. While both are used in computing, 1 byte equals 8 bits, thus making 1 megabyte equal to 8 megabits. This difference is crucial when reading the speed advertised by an Internet Service Provider, which typically use megabits per second (Mbps), rather than megabytes per second (MBps).
In the early days of the internet, a dial-up connection delivered speeds of about 56 kilobits per second (Kbps). In contrast, modern fiber-optic connections can reach speeds well over 1,000 Mbps, making old dial-up appear nearly stagnant. This evolution underscores how technological advancements have exponentially increased our capacity to access and share information.
Gigabits | Megabits |
---|---|
0
GB
|
0
MB
|
16
GB
|
16000
MB
|
32
GB
|
32000
MB
|
48
GB
|
48000
MB
|
64
GB
|
64000
MB
|
80
GB
|
80000
MB
|
96
GB
|
96000
MB
|
112
GB
|
112000
MB
|
128
GB
|
128000
MB
|
144
GB
|
144000
MB
|
160
GB
|
160000
MB
|
176
GB
|
176000
MB
|
192
GB
|
192000
MB
|
208
GB
|
208000
MB
|
224
GB
|
224000
MB
|
240
GB
|
240000
MB
|
256
GB
|
256000
MB
|
272
GB
|
272000
MB
|
288
GB
|
288000
MB
|
304
GB
|
304000
MB
|
320
GB
|
320000
MB
|
336
GB
|
336000
MB
|
352
GB
|
352000
MB
|
368
GB
|
368000
MB
|
384
GB
|
384000
MB
|
400
GB
|
400000
MB
|
416
GB
|
416000
MB
|
432
GB
|
432000
MB
|
448
GB
|
448000
MB
|
464
GB
|
464000
MB
|
480
GB
|
480000
MB
|
496
GB
|
496000
MB
|
512
GB
|
512000
MB
|
528
GB
|
528000
MB
|
544
GB
|
544000
MB
|
560
GB
|
560000
MB
|
576
GB
|
576000
MB
|
592
GB
|
592000
MB
|
608
GB
|
608000
MB
|
624
GB
|
624000
MB
|
640
GB
|
640000
MB
|
656
GB
|
656000
MB
|
672
GB
|
672000
MB
|
688
GB
|
688000
MB
|
704
GB
|
704000
MB
|
720
GB
|
720000
MB
|
736
GB
|
736000
MB
|
752
GB
|
752000
MB
|
768
GB
|
768000
MB
|
784
GB
|
784000
MB
|
800
GB
|
800000
MB
|
816
GB
|
816000
MB
|
832
GB
|
832000
MB
|
848
GB
|
848000
MB
|
864
GB
|
864000
MB
|
880
GB
|
880000
MB
|
896
GB
|
896000
MB
|
912
GB
|
912000
MB
|
928
GB
|
928000
MB
|
944
GB
|
944000
MB
|
960
GB
|
960000
MB
|
976
GB
|
976000
MB
|
992
GB
|
992000
MB
|
1008
GB
|
1008000
MB
|
1024
GB
|
1024000
MB
|