Gbps to Kbps Converter: Convert Gigabits to Kilobits Instantly

How to Use Our Gbps to Kbps Converter

The conversion is straightforward. Simply enter the value you wish to convert.

• Value in Gbps (Gigabits per second): Enter the number of gigabits per second you want to convert.

The calculator will instantly display the equivalent value in Kbps (Kilobits per second).

Understanding Your Results: The Scale of Modern Internet Speed

The conversion between Gbps and Kbps highlights the vast evolution of data transfer speeds. The core relationship is simple:

1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) = 1,000,000 Kilobits per second (Kbps)

This is because the prefixes used for data transfer rates are based on the decimal system (powers of 10).

Breaking Down the Prefixes

• Kilo (k): Represents one thousand (1,000).

• Mega (M): Represents one million (1,000,000). It is 1,000 times larger than Kilo.

• Giga (G): Represents one billion (1,000,000,000). It is 1,000 times larger than Mega.

The Data Speed Hierarchy

This simple hierarchy shows how the units relate to each other.

Therefore, to get from Gigabits to Kilobits, you multiply by 1,000 twice: 1 Gbps × 1,000 Mbps/Gbps × 1,000 Kbps/Mbps = 1,000,000 Kbps

Context: Where Are These Units Used?

Understanding the scale is easier when you know where these speeds apply.

• Gbps (Gigabits per second): The Modern Standard. This unit is used to measure high-speed connections.

  • Fiber Optic Internet Plans (e.g., “Gigabit Fiber”)

  • Modern Ethernet ports (1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 10 Gbps)

  • Data Center and internal network backbones

  • High-speed data transfer between computer components

• Kbps (Kilobits per second): The Legacy Unit. This unit represents very slow speeds by today’s standards. It is rarely used for general internet speed but still appears in specific technical contexts.

  • Old Technology: The speed of 56k dial-up modems was measured in Kbps.

  • VoIP (Voice over IP): Voice call quality codecs are often measured in Kbps (e.g., the G.711 codec uses 64 Kbps).

  • IoT Devices: Simple sensors that send tiny packets of data may have their data rate measured in Kbps.

  • Troubleshooting: If your high-speed connection is performing at Kbps levels, it indicates a severe problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Gbps and Kbps stand for?

• Gbps: Stands for Gigabits per second.

• Kbps: Stands for Kilobits per second.

Both are units measuring data transfer rate or speed, not data storage size.

Why would I ever need to convert Gbps to Kbps?

While it seems like an unusual conversion, it’s necessary in several professional and technical scenarios:

• Network Equipment Configuration: Some routers, firewalls, or traffic shaping devices require bandwidth limits or quality of service (QoS) rules to be entered in Kbps.

• Technical Documentation: Reading or writing technical specifications that require a consistent unit of measurement across a wide range of values.

• Capacity Planning: Comparing the total capacity of a high-speed link (in Gbps) to the many small streams of traffic it might carry (e.g., thousands of VoIP calls measured in Kbps).

• Academic Purposes: For students learning about networking, computer science, and the scale of data.

Is a Kilobit (Kb) the same as a Kilobyte (KB)?

No, and this is a critical distinction. The capitalization of the ‘B’ matters.

• bit (b): The smallest unit of data.

• Byte (B): A unit of data equal to 8 bits.

• Kbps (Kilobits per second): A measure of speed.

• KB/s (Kilobytes per second): Also a measure of speed, but 8 times faster than Kbps.

1 KB/s = 8 Kbps. This is why your internet speed in megabits (Mbps) is 8 times larger than your download speed in megabytes (MB/s).

If my speed test shows my speed in Kbps, is that bad?

Yes, almost certainly. As of 2025, a typical broadband internet connection should measure in the hundreds of Mbps, with high-end plans reaching into the Gbps range. A result in Kbps (e.g., 500 Kbps) is less than 1 Mbps and indicates either a very poor-quality connection, a serious network problem, or a misconfigured test. It is far too slow for modern web Browse, let alone streaming or gaming.

Are speeds in Kbps still relevant today?

Yes, but only in very specific, low-bandwidth contexts. While you would never want your main internet connection to be measured in Kbps, it’s the appropriate unit for:

• Voice Codecs: A standard, uncompressed digital phone call uses 64 Kbps.

• Basic IoT: A smart thermostat or sensor might send status updates using only a few Kbps of data.

• SCADA Systems: Industrial control systems often use low-bandwidth serial communications.

• Fallback Connections: Some satellite phones or emergency communication systems may operate at speeds measured in Kbps.

How do I convert Gbps to Megabytes per second (MB/s)?

This is a very common and practical conversion. It’s a two-step process:

1. Convert Gigabits to Megabits: Multiply the Gbps value by 1,000.

   • 1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps

2. Convert Megabits to Megabytes: Divide the Mbps value by 8.

   • 1,000 Mbps ÷ 8 = 125 MB/s

So, a 1 Gbps internet connection has a maximum theoretical download speed of 125 Megabytes per second (MB/s).

What is a “gigabit” internet connection?

A “gigabit” internet connection is a plan offered by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that delivers speeds of approximately 1 Gigabit per second (1 Gbps), which is 1,000 Megabits per second (Mbps). These plans are typically delivered over a fiber optic network and offer extremely fast download and often equally fast upload speeds.

What is the next unit of speed after Gigabit per second (Gbps)?

The next standard unit is the Terabit per second (Tbps).

• 1 Tbps = 1,000 Gbps

Terabit speeds are not found in consumer internet plans but are used to measure the capacity of major internet backbones, transoceanic fiber optic cables, and the total traffic handled by massive data centers.

Does this conversion use 1000 or 1024 as a multiplier?

This is a frequent point of confusion. For data transfer rates, the industry standard is to use decimal prefixes (powers of 10).

• 1 Kilobit = 1000 bits

• 1 Megabit = 1000 Kilobits

• 1 Gigabit = 1000 Megabits

The binary prefixes (powers of 1024), such as in a kibibyte or mebibyte, are properly used for measuring data storage, though operating systems often label them incorrectly. This converter correctly uses the decimal standard of 1000.

How many 64 Kbps voice calls can a 1 Gbps connection handle?

This is a great practical application of this conversion.

1. First, convert 1 Gbps to Kbps:

   • 1 Gbps = 1,000,000 Kbps

2. Then, divide by the data rate of a single call:

   • 1,000,000 Kbps ÷ 64 Kbps per call ≈ 15,625 calls

Theoretically, a 1 Gbps link can handle the data for over 15,000 simultaneous, uncompressed voice calls (ignoring protocol overhead).

Other Tools You Might Find Useful

Understanding the scale of data speed is just the beginning. Use these tools to apply that knowledge.

• To convert between a wider range of speed units, including Megabytes per second, use our main Data Transfer Rate Converter.

• To see how long it will take to download a large file with your connection, try our Download Time Calculator.

• To understand file sizes, use our Data Storage Converter.