Megabit per second (Mbps)

Definition

One million bits per second (10⁶ bit/s) in the decimal SI convention.

History

The megabit per second applies the SI prefix mega- (one million) to the bit per second. Network and telecommunications rates use these decimal prefixes; IEC 80000-13 reserves binary prefixes (Mibit/s) for the 1,024-based scale.

Where it is used

Broadband plans, Ethernet ports, and speed tests are commonly quoted in megabits per second.

Typical uses include broadband plans, LAN links.

Conversion pages

These pages convert megabit per second to or from another unit in data rate.

• Gigabit per second to megabit per second

Other Data rate units

• Gigabit per second (Gbps)

Sources

• IEC 80000-13 IEC 80000-13 (quantities and units — information science); NIST on binary prefixes · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026