Mbps vs. MBps: What's the Difference Between the Two?

There are endless terms and acronyms you would know when it comes to understanding the internet. Maybe one of the most difficult acronyms is Mbps Vs. MBps. You come across several confusing technical terms when you are working with computers and the internet. 

Not many are unclear as to the difference between megabits per second (Mbps) and megabytes per second (MBps). However, these two terms almost sound alike when spoken and even when they are abbreviated with the exact number of letters. But the only difference between the two abbreviations is the ‘b’, which is capitalized in the latter.

Mbps – Megabits per second.

MBps – Megabytes per second.

In this blog, we will shed some light on the difference between Mbps Vs. MBps.

Lower case (b) Mbps represents the Internet speed

Internet service providers promote the speed of their internet in terms of Mbps, which is the number of bits transferred per second over an internet connection. Higher Mbps usually signifies the internet with a high speed, albeit there are several various factors that can affect the speeds of the internet you experience.

Don’t confuse yourself if you happen to see two different numbers for one Mbps plan. Mbps is usually denoted in terms of speed: upload and download. If the speed of your internet connection is higher, you can quickly upload and download text, audio, and video files.

How Can Mbps and MBps Affect My Online Activities?

Mbps and MBps play a very crucial role when it comes to downloading a plethora of things from the internet – right from downloading music and movies to streaming TV and loading a webpage.

The time it takes to download will differ based on the file size and the speed of an internet connection you are using. Other factors can affect download times, like whether you are downloading using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable, or you are connected to the internet: residential or business.

What if you already are using high Mbps? Still, experiencing slow internet?

If the download speed is suitable but is having time with activities including gaming or video-chatting, then latency might be a great issue.

What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Your Home?

When it comes to purchasing internet service, it is crucial to understand Mbps (megabits per second) and what speeds seem necessary for your home internet. 

Here is what you can do with different Mbps:

• Basic Internet Use - .5 to 3 Mbps

• Web browsing

• Sending emails

• Downloading texts like e-books

• Moderate Internet Use – 6 to 18 Mbps

• Downloading mp3 songs

• Downloading an SD video

• Streaming short SD videos

• Connecting 2-3 devices simultaneously

• Heavy Internet Use – 25+ Mbps

• Online gaming

• Connecting several songs at once

• Downloading multiple songs at the same time

• Streaming SD or HD shows and movies

There are some vital things that you need to consider such as what you like to do online, what you are looking to do online, and how many people/devices will use the internet. You will probably find that picking the cheap internet plan with a lower Mbps may not give you the speeds you are looking for, or you could discover an expensive and higher Mbps which could give you more speed than you actually need. Identifying the finest Mbps range for your home is crucial to pick the best plan. 

Upper case (b) Mbps represents the amount of file data transferred, per second

The sizes of files are measured in bytes, which is why MBps is used for giving users a great idea of how much of a file is transferred per second.

8 megabits are equivalent to 1 megabyte. In order to determine how many bytes you can download or upload per second, take your Mbps by 8 and that will give you the needed Mbps. Now, divide the size of your file by the Mbps to determine roughly how long a file will take to download or upload.

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