What is considered fast Internet in Mbps?

Mbps stands for Megabits per second. ... MBps stands Megabytes per second. The two terms are similar, but Mbps is used to specify Internet connection speeds, whereas MBps is used to specify how much of a file is downloaded/uploaded per second.

What do mbps and kbps mean?

By default, Speedtest.net measures your connection speed in Mbps, meaning Megabits Per Second. Mbps is the ISP industry-standard, and we use it on Speedtest.net so you can easily compare your result to your broadband plan's speed.

However, we offer four different options on your settings page:

·         kbps or Kilobits Per Second - One kilobit is 1000 bits, and bits are the smallest possible unit of information (a little on/off switch). This was typically used by mobile connections, but as mobile carriers get faster they're switching over to megabits.

·         kB/s or KiloBytes Per Second - Bytes are made up of eight bits, so one kilobyte equals eight kilobits. File-sizes on your computer are typically measured in bytes, so you'll usually see kilobytes used by download utilities. Bytes are capitalized when used in acronyms to distinguish them from bits, since both start with the letter B.

·         Mbps or Megabits Per Second - The default, as we've already discussed. It takes 1000 kilobits to make a megabit.

·         MB/s or MegaBytes Per Second - It takes eight megabits to make one megabyte. Most of the files on your computer are measured in megabytes, and if you have a fast connection you'll see this used in download utilities.

If you're comparing our speed test to another measurement, please make sure they're using the same unit. Otherwise, you are not getting a level comparison and may be seeing much lower or higher results than you expected.

What Internet speeds do you need for your home?

When shopping for Internet service, it is important to understand Mbps and what speeds are necessary for your current or desired Internet activity. Check out what you can do with different Mbps:

 

Basic Internet use: .5 to 3 Mbps

sending emails

browsing the web

downloading texts such as e-books

  Moderate Internet use: 6 to 18 Mbps

downloading an SD video

downloading mp3 songs

streaming short SD videos

connecting 2-3 devices at once

 

Heavy Internet use: 25+ Mbps

streaming SD or HD shows and movies

online gaming

downloading multiple songs at once

connecting numerous devices at once

Consider what you like to do online, what you want to do online, and how many people/devices will be using the Internet. You may find that choosing the cheapest plan with a lower Mbps may not give you the speeds you want, or you could discover a higher and costlier Mbps gives you more speed than you need. Identifying the best Mbps range for your home is vital to choosing the right plan.

Knowing Mbps makes for a better online experience

It is important to know and understand your Mbps because it gives you a better idea of what you can feasibly do online. For example, if you have an Internet connection with download speeds up to 3 Mbps, you will not reasonably be able to download a full-length HD movie, which can be files as large as 12 GB (12,000 MB), because it will take many hours to do so.

When shopping for Internet, consider your online activities and select a plan that offers speeds capable of accommodating the things you want to do online. Now that you know the difference between Mbps and MBps, you’re better prepared to select the right Internet plan for your home.

More: Internet speed test: difference between Mbps and MBps