Mbps vs MB/s: what is the difference?
Mbps means megabits per second and MB/s means megabytes per second. A byte is 8 bits, so divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s. A 100 Mbps connection can download at most about 12.5 MB/s.
What the letters mean
A lowercase b means bit and an uppercase B means byte. One byte is 8 bits. Internet plans and speed tests use bits per second, so you see Mbps. Files, downloads and many browsers and apps use bytes, so you see MB and MB/s. Both are real, they just measure in different units, which is why a 100 Mbps plan seems to download at only 12 MB/s.
Conversion table
| Mbps (connection) | MB/s (best-case file speed) |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s |
| 25 Mbps | 3.1 MB/s |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 MB/s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s |
| 1,000 Mbps | 125 MB/s |
How long will a download take?
| File size | 25 Mbps | 100 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB (a long video) | 5 min 20 s | 1 min 20 s | 16 s | 8 s |
| 10 GB (a big game update) | 53 min | 13 min | 2 min 40 s | 1 min 20 s |
| 50 GB (a large game) | 4 h 27 min | 1 h 7 min | 13 min | 6 min 40 s |
These times are the theoretical best case. Real downloads are usually a little slower, because of Wi-Fi, protocol overhead and the speed of the server you download from, so add some time to each figure.
Why speed tests show Mbps
Network speeds have long been measured in bits per second, and providers advertise in Mbps. That is also why the SpeedUp test, like most speed tests, shows Mbps. If you want a quick estimate in file terms, divide by 8.