This page converts kilobits per second into bits per second using the factor 1000, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure how much data moves per second, which is why one number does the whole job.
One bit per second is the base unit of data rate. Network speeds are always quoted in bits, which is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s. Kilobits per second is the unit of audio bitrates and the old modem speeds. In networking a kilobit is exactly 1,000 bits, not 1,024.
Bits and bytes. Network speeds are sold in bits per second and file transfers are reported in bytes per second, and there are eight bits to a byte, so a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s. A connection is not underperforming by a factor of eight; it is being measured in different units. Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real how much data moves per second figures into bits per second so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
kilobits per second- The amount you are converting, in kilobits per second
1000- The exact number of bits per second in one kilobit per second
bits per second- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in kilobits per second.
- It is multiplied by 1000, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in bits per second, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
4K video stream: 2.5e+04 kbit/s in bits per second
Take 4k video stream, roughly 2.5e+04 kbit/s. The conversion is a single multiplication — 2.5e+04 × 1000 — giving 2.5e+07 bit/s. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 5e+07 bit/s.
Wired gigabit Ethernet: 1e+06 kbit/s in bits per second
Take wired gigabit ethernet, roughly 1e+06 kbit/s. The conversion is a single multiplication — 1e+06 × 1000 — giving 1e+09 bit/s. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 2e+09 bit/s.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many bits per second are in one kilobit per second?
Exactly 1000. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert kilobits per second to bits per second?
bits per second = kilobits per second × 1000. Reversed, kilobits per second = bits per second ÷ 1000, which is the same as multiplying by 0.001.
Which is the bigger unit, the kilobit per second or the bit per second?
The kilobit per second. One kilobit per second equals 1000 bits per second.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure how much data moves per second. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a kilobit per second?
Kilobits per second is the unit of audio bitrates and the old modem speeds. In networking a kilobit is exactly 1,000 bits, not 1,024.
What is a bit per second?
One bit per second is the base unit of data rate. Network speeds are always quoted in bits, which is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Kilobits Per Second to bits per second reference tables
| Kilobits Per Second | Bits Per Second |
|---|---|
| 0.5 kbit/s | 500 bit/s |
| 1 kbit/s | 1000 bit/s |
| 2 kbit/s | 2000 bit/s |
| 3 kbit/s | 3000 bit/s |
| 5 kbit/s | 5000 bit/s |
| 10 kbit/s | 10,000 bit/s |
| 20 kbit/s | 20,000 bit/s |
| 25 kbit/s | 25,000 bit/s |
| 50 kbit/s | 50,000 bit/s |
| 75 kbit/s | 75,000 bit/s |
| 100 kbit/s | 100,000 bit/s |
| 250 kbit/s | 250,000 bit/s |
| 500 kbit/s | 500,000 bit/s |
| 1000 kbit/s | 1e+06 bit/s |
| 5000 kbit/s | 5e+06 bit/s |
Exact factor: 1 kilobit per second = 1000 bits per second.
| Quantity | kbit/s | bit/s |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 audio, 320 kbps | 320 kbit/s | 3.2e+05 bit/s |
| SD video stream | 3000 kbit/s | 3e+06 bit/s |
| HD video stream | 8000 kbit/s | 8e+06 bit/s |
| 4K video stream | 2.5e+04 kbit/s | 2.5e+07 bit/s |
| Wired gigabit Ethernet | 1e+06 kbit/s | 1e+09 bit/s |
| Wi-Fi 6 link rate | 1.2e+06 kbit/s | 1.2e+09 bit/s |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.