Bits & Bytes: Reading Data Sizes and Speeds
File sizes and internet speeds use similar-looking units that mean different things. Once you know the relationship, the numbers make sense.
Bits vs bytes
A bit is a single 0 or 1; a byte is 8 bits. Storage (files, drives) is measured in bytes (KB, MB, GB), while network speeds are usually measured in bits (Mbps). That factor of 8 is why they look so different.
How sizes scale
Each step up is about 1,000× (or 1,024× in binary): kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte. The Data Storage Converter switches between them — and between decimal and binary definitions.
Turning speed into download time
Because speed is in bits and files are in bytes, divide a connection’s Mbps by 8 to get MB per second. A 80 Mbps line downloads about 10 MB/s. The Bandwidth Converter does this for you.
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Last updated: July 6, 2026