Why Do Internet Providers Use Mbps Instead of MB/s?
If you’ve ever wondered why your internet plan is listed in Mbps while your computer shows download speeds in MB/s, you’re not alone. The two units look similar, but they measure different things—and knowing the difference helps you understand what speed you’re actually getting.
What Is Mbps?
Mbps stands for megabits per second. It measures data transfer speed—how fast data moves across a network.
- 1 megabit (Mb) = 1/8 of a megabyte (MB)
- 100 Mbps connection can transfer 100 megabits per second, which equals 12.5 megabytes per second (MB/s) in actual file download speed.
In short: Internet speed is measured in megabits. Files are measured in megabytes.
Why Do Internet Providers Use Mbps Instead of MB/s?
1. Networking Technology Uses Bits, Not Bytes
Routers, switches, fiber optics, Wi-Fi standards—all network equipment operates in bits. The entire telecommunications industry is built around bitrate (bits/second).
So:
- Network speed = Mbps or Gbps
- Storage size = MB, GB, TB
Providers follow this global standard.
2. Mbps Makes Speed Numbers Look Bigger (Marketing Advantage)
Let’s be honest—marketing plays a role.
Example: A speed of 200 Mbps sounds more impressive than 25 MB/s, even though they represent the same actual speed.
Mbps = bigger number → looks faster.
3. Bits Provide More Precision for Speed
When measuring live data transfers, using smaller units (bits) lets providers describe:
- Latency
- Bandwidth
- Packet rates
- Throughput
All with finer granularity than bytes allow.
4. Consistency Across All Connection Types
Whether it’s:
- Wi-Fi
- Ethernet
- Cellular (4G, 5G)
- Satellite
- Fiber
All use bits per second as the standard. This keeps everything uniform across industries.
How Mbps Converts to MB/s (the speed your computer shows)
To convert:
Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s.
Examples:
- 100 Mbps → 12.5 MB/s
- 50 Mbps → 6.25 MB/s
- 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) → 125 MB/s
Your computer usually shows MB/s when downloading because it’s showing file size transfer, not network speed.
Why Your Computer Uses MB/s
While the network moves data in bits, your computer stores it in bytes. That’s why file downloads display MB/s: it reflects how much of the file (measured in bytes) is arriving each second. To estimate your maximum download speed, just divide your Mbps speed by 8.
The Bottom Line
Internet providers use Mbps because it aligns with networking technology and industry standards, while your computer displays MB/s because it deals with file sizes. Both measurements are accurate—they simply describe different parts of the same process. Understanding the two makes it easier to interpret your internet plan and know what speeds you should expect in real-world use.
