Bits vs bytes: What’s the difference?

A megabit (Mb) is equal to 1 million bits. Computers and networks use bits to store and send information, such as text, images, and videos, but it’s most commonly used to measure your internet speed in megabits per second (Mbps).

For example, when a broadband provider advertises a speed of 100 Mbps (megabits per second), it means the connection can transfer 100 million bits every second. Knowing what megabits are will help you choose an internet plan or checking how fast data can be downloaded or uploaded, since more megabits per second mean quicker downloads, smoother video streaming, and better online gaming.

A megabyte (MB) is equal to 1 million bytes. It’s most commonly used to measure the size of files. For example, a small photo might be 2 MB, a short song could be 5 MB, and a simple mobile app might be around 50 MB. When you download or save something on your phone or computer, the file size is usually shown in megabytes.

Storage devices, such as USB drives, hard drives, and phone storage, are often measured in megabytes, gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB). A gigabyte is 1,000 megabytes, so if your phone has 64 GB of storage, it can hold about 64,000 MB of data. Knowing about megabytes helps when managing storage space and understanding how much data different files use.

1 megabyte (MB) equals 8 megabits (Mb). Megabits are only used to measure internet speed in megabits per seconds (Mbps), while megabytes are used to measure the size of the files

When an internet provider offers a speed of 100 Mbps (megabits per second), it means the connection can transfer 100 million bits every second. However, this does not mean you can download a 100 MB file in one second because megabits are smaller than megabytes.

If your internet speed is given in megabits per second (Mbps) but your files are measured in megabytes (MB), you need to divide by 8 to estimate your actual download speed in megabytes per second.

MB vs Mb size comparison

1 megabyte (MB) equals 8 megabits (Mb). That means if your internet speed is 40 Mbps (megabits per second), it would take about 2 seconds to download a 10MB photo. And if your speed was only 10 Mbps, it would take around 8 seconds.

And if a song is 5 MB, it means it takes up 5 million bytes of space on your device. Since 1 MB = 8 Mb, downloading a 5 MB song on a 40 Mbps internet connection would take about one second (because 40 megabits per second equals 5 megabytes per second).

Mbps vs MBps speed comparison

Here’s a comparison of some common a broadband download speeds in megabits per second (Mbps) vs their respective speeds in megabytes per second (MBps):

There are 8 bits in 1 byte. A byte is a group of 8 bits put together to store more complex information, like letters, numbers, or small parts of an image. Everything you see on a computer is stored in bytes, while bits are usually onlyused to measure internet speed.

For example, when you type a letter on a keyboard, the computer stores it as a byte (8 bits) of data. This system is used in all computers, phones, and digital devices. Since a byte is bigger than a bit, larger files and storage are measured in kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), and so on, making it easier to understand how much space something takes up.

To convert bits to bytes, simply divide the number of bits by eight. So if your internet speed is 80 Mbps, you can divide by 8 to find out that it transfers data at about 10 megabytes per second (MBps). This conversion is handy for understanding the relationship between the speed of your connection and the size of the files you're transferring.

Is a MB bigger than a KB?

Yes! A Megabyte (MB) is 1000 times bigger than a Kilobyte (KB). 1 megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,000 kilobytes (KB), which means that a file that’s 1 MB is the same size as a file that’s 1,000 KB.

Since megabytes are much bigger than kilobytes, they’re usually used to measure bigger files like photos, songs, and apps, while kilobytes are used for small text files or simple images. For example, a small text file might be measured as 100 KB (0.1 MB), while a high-quality photo could be 2 MB ( 2,000 KB).

Is a MB bigger than a GB?

No, a megabyte (MB) is smaller than a gigabyte (GB). In fact, 1 gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,000 megabytes (MB), which means that if you have 1 GB of data, it is the same as having 1,000 MB.

Since gigabytes are much bigger, they are used to measure large files, phone storage, and hard drives, while megabytes are used for smaller files like pictures and songs.For example, a photo might be 2 MB, while a high-quality movie could be 2 GB (or 2,000 MB).

When ordering digital storage sizes from smallest to largest, it goes like this: kilobyte (KB) < megabyte (MB) < gigabyte (GB). Each step is 1,000 times bigger than the one before it:

·      A kilobyte (KB) is the smallest and is used for tiny files.

·      A megabyte (MB) is 1,000 KB and is used for photos, songs, and small apps.

·      A gigabyte (GB) is 1,000 MB and is used for videos, games, and phone storage.

When choosing an internet plan, it’s important to understand this difference. If you often download large files, stream HD videos, or play online games, a higher Mbps speed will give you a smoother experience.

Remember - Since 1 megabyte (MB) is equal to 8 megabits (Mb), your actual download speed in megabytes per second (MBps) is much lower than the number shown in megabits per second (Mbps).

For example, if your internet speed is 80 Mbps, you can download at 10 MB per second (because 80 ÷ 8 = 10). This means a 100 MB file would take about 10 seconds to download. The higher your Mbps, the faster you can download or stream content, reducing buffering and wait times.

How many mbps do I need for broadband in my home?

The amount of mbps you’ll need depend on what you do online and how many people use the internet at your home. We offer a range of superfast broadband packages that cover different speeds, including:

• M125 broadband: a great option for casual internet users who primarily engage in light browsing, email, and social media. With an average download speed of up to 132 Mbps, it’s great for everyday online activities.

• M250 broadband: ideal for those who frequently stream high-definition content, engage in online gaming, or download large files. With average download speeds of up to 264 Mbps, it offers faster speeds which helps deliver a smoother experience

• M350 broadband: suited for households with multiple users and a high demand for bandwidth. With an average download speed of up to 362 Mbps, it provides the necessary capacity to handle simultaneous usage of multiple devices and bandwidth-intensive activities.

• M500 broadband: perfect for gamers and those with a strong need for speed. With average download speeds of up to 516 Mbps, it offers superfast speeds which are ideal for streaming content, online gaming and quick downloads.

• Gig1 Fibre broadband: the best choice for anyone seeking ultrafast speeds. With average download speeds of up to 1,130 Mbps it’s the perfect companion for smart homes and busier households with multiple connected devices. It allows for seamless 4K streaming, large file transfers and low latency online gaming – all at the same time.

 Our superfast broadband packages have all the bits you need for all your bytes. Switch to Virgin Media today and get superfast broadband you can rely on.

 To check what’s available in your area, use our helpful postcode checker to see what you can get.