The kilobit is a multiple of the unit
bit
The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...
for digital
information
Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random ...
or
computer storage. The prefix ''
kilo-
Kilo is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting multiplication by one thousand (103). It is used in the International System of Units, where it has the symbol k, in lowercase.
The prefix ''kilo'' is derived from the Greek word () ...
'' (symbol k) is defined in the
International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 10
3 (1 thousand), and therefore,
:1 kilobit = = 1000 bits.
The kilobit has the unit symbol kbit or kb.
Using the common
byte
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...
size of 8 bits, 1 kbit is equal to 125
byte
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...
s.
The kilobit is commonly used in the expression of
data rates
In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted. ...
of digital communication circuits as kilobits per second (
kbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
or kb/s), or abbreviated as ''kbps'',
as in, for example, ''a 56 kbps
PSTN
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) provides infrastructure and services for public telecommunication. The PSTN is the aggregate of the world's circuit-switched telephone networks that are operated by national, regional, or local teleph ...
circuit'', or ''a 512 kbit/s
broadband
In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...
Internet connection''.
The unit symbol kb (lowercase 'b') is typographically similar to the international standard unit symbol for the
kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information.
The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix '' kilo'' as 1000 (103); per this definition, one kilobyte is 1000 bytes.International Standard IEC 80000-13 Quant ...
, i.e. kB (upper case 'B'). The
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) recommends the symbol bit instead of b. The prefix ''kilo-'' is often used in fields of computer science and information technology with a meaning of multiplication by 1024 instead of 1000, contrary to international standards, in conjunction with the base unit byte and bit, in which case it is to be written as ''Ki-'', with a capital letter K,
e.g., 1 Kibit = 1024 bits. The decimal SI definition, 1 kbit/s = 1000 bit/s, is used uniformly in the context of
telecommunication transmission speeds.
The kilobit is closely related to the much less used
kibibit, a unit multiple derived from the
binary prefix
A binary prefix is a unit prefix for multiples of units. It is most often used in data processing, data transmission, and digital information, principally in association with the bit and the byte, to indicate multiplication by a power of& ...
''
kibi-
A binary prefix is a unit prefix for multiples of units. It is most often used in data processing, data transmission, and digital information, principally in association with the bit and the byte, to indicate multiplication by a power of& ...
'' (symbol Ki) of the same order of magnitude,
which is equal to = 1024 bits, or approximately 2% larger than the kilobit. Despite the definitions of these new prefixes, meant for binary-based quantities of storage by international standards organizations, memory semiconductor chips are still marketed using the
metric prefix
A metric prefix is a unit prefix that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or submultiple of the unit. All metric prefixes used today are decadic. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to any unit symbol. The pr ...
names to designate binary multiples.
See also
*
Data-rate units
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits ( bitrate), characters or symbols ( baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are mu ...
*
Orders of magnitude (data)
An order of magnitude is usually a factor of ten. Thus, four orders of magnitude is a factor of 10,000 or 104.
This article presents a list of multiples, sorted by orders of magnitude, for units of information measured in bits and bytes.
The byt ...
*
SI prefix
References
{{Computer Storage Volumes
Units of information