When choosing an internet plan, you will come across a variety of technical abbreviations and terms that will get confusing. This is especially true for people who are not exactly tech nerds.
One fine example is Mbps vs MBps. These two abbreviations are very common and you will surely come across them a lot. People who don’t have any idea about bits and bytes might think Mbps and MBps are the same. However, that’s not the case.
A bit refers to the smallest unit of computerized data, whereas a byte consists of 8 bits. To put it in simple words, a bit is a smaller unit than a byte.
Now that you know what bits and bytes are, it will be easier for you to understand the difference between Mbps vs MBps.
The Function of Mbps
Mbps is short for Megabits Per Second, which is commonly used to represent the internet speed. For example, a 100 Mbps internet plan will transfer 100 megabits of data per second between your device and the ISP.
The mega in the term “megabits” refer to 1,000. In the terms of internet speed, it refers to the total number of bits that are transferred to your device every second. Sometimes, it is also called your bandwidth or download speed.
You can also measure internet speed in bytes per second. All you have to do is take the speeds in bits per second and divide it by 8. But usually, speed is not measured in bytes. Whenever internet speed is mentioned, it is listed in bits per second.
The Function of MBps
MBps is the abbreviation for Megabytes Per Second. It is widely used as a metric measurement. It denotes the speed with which a file is downloaded or uploaded. For example, if the download speed of a file is 100 MBps, it means that 100 megabytes of data are downloaded per second.
MBps differs from Mbps because it is used in a different setting. When talking about memory, a byte denotes the storage slot. For example, USB sticks, SSDs, system memory, and hard drives are always measured in bytes.
Bytes are also used to measure the size of the software. A single byte is needed to store one character. This means it will need 8 bytes of memory to store the word “Elephant”. So, one letter takes one byte. This is why bytes are used for measuring computer memory.
When to use Mbps?
Megabits per second are used to measure the speed of your internet connection. But measuring moving data such as streaming and downloading is more difficult than measuring resting data such as programs, files, etc.
For example, the emails you send or the sites you visit are divided into small packets and then sent in different directions. It is received by your computer in an organized manner and then rearranged later. This makes it difficult to divide the data into bytes. This is why bits are used to measure the speed at which the data is transferred from one point to another.
When talking about bandwidth, download speeds, or upload speeds, we use megabits per second. This makes it easier for you to understand your internet speed.
When to use MBps?
Megabytes per second is used to denote the storage capacity of hard drives, USB sticks, SSDs, and system memory. A single byte is the smallest storage slot.
MBps is also used to measure the size of applications and software. One byte is required to store one single character. This is why computer memory is measured in bytes.
MBps also indicates the speed at which a file is downloaded or uploaded on the internet.
How Long Does it Take to Download Different Files
| Media | Webpage | MP3 song | 10-minute SD video clip | SD movie | HD movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File size | 1 MB | 3 MB | 500 MB | 2 GB | 12 GB |
| 1 Mbps | 8 seconds | 25 seconds | 1 hour, 10 minutes | 4 hours, 46 minutes | 28 hours, 38 minutes |
| 3 Mbps | 2 seconds | 8 seconds | 23 minutes, 18 seconds | 1 hour, 35 minutes | 9 hours, 32 minutes |
| 5 Mbps | 1 second | 5 seconds | 14 minutes | 57 minutes, 15 seconds | 5 hours, 43 minutes |
| 10 Mbps | <1 second | 2 seconds | 7 minutes | 28 minutes, 37 seconds | 2 hours, 52 minutes |
| 30 Mbps | <1 second | <1 second | 2 minutes, 19 seconds | 9 minutes, 32 seconds | 57 minutes, 15 seconds |
| 50 Mbps | <1 second | <1 second | 1 minute, 23 seconds | 5 minutes, 43 seconds | 34 minutes, 21 seconds |
| 100 Mbps | <1 second | <1 second | 41 seconds | 2 minutes, 51 seconds | 17 minutes, 10 seconds |
| 500 Mbps | <1 second | <1 second | 8 seconds | 34 seconds | 3 minutes, 26 seconds |
| 1 Gbps | <1 second | <1 second | 4 seconds | 17 second | 1 minute, 43 seconds |
Difference Between Mbps and MBps
Understanding the difference between Mbps vs MBps is important when talking about digital gadgets and internet technologies. It is also needed when dealing with customer service and tech support. To remove all confusion, we have pointed out the main differences between Mbps and MBps in the chart below.
| Mbps | MBps |
|---|---|
| It refers to megabits per second. | It refers to megabytes per second. |
| It is the smallest unit. | It is a bigger unit. |
| The value of a bit is “0” or “1”. | One byte comprises 8 bits. |
| It is used to denote internet speed. | It measures storage capacity or data volume. |
| It indicates how fast an internet connection is. | It indicates the download or uploads speed of a file. |
FAQs
Q1. What is Mbps used for?
Ans: Megabits per second (Mbps) are units of measurement for throughput and network bandwidth. It is used to denote the speed of a network or internet connection.
Q2. How many Mbps is considered a good speed?
Ans: For a fast internet connection, you should opt for an internet plan with at least 100 Mbps speed. This speed is ideal for streaming, gaming, and downloading big files from the internet.
Q3. How is Mbps different from MBps?
Ans: Mbps refers to the internet speed, whereas MBps denotes the storage capacity or data volume.
Conclusion
By now the difference between Mbps vs MBps should be clear. Mbps is megabits per second and MBps is megabytes per second. The former is the smallest unit, whereas the latter comprises 8 bits.
Mbps is widely used to denote the speed of the internet while MBps refers to the data volume or storage capacity. These units of measurement are used in different settings.
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