The gigabit is a multiple of the unit bit

Bit

A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...

 for digital information

Information

Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...

 or computer storage

Computer storage

Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....

. The prefix giga (symbol G) is defined in the International System of Units

International System of Units

The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...

 (SI) as a multiplier of 10⁹ (1 billion, short scale), and therefore

1 gigabit = = .

The gigabit has the unit symbol Gbit or Gb.

Using the common byte

Byte

The byte is a unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, a byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the basic addressable element in many computer...

 size of 8 bits, 1 Gbit is equal to 125 megabyte

Megabyte

The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...

s (MB) or approximately 119 mebibyte

Mebibyte

The mebibyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The binary prefix mebi means 220, therefore 1 mebibyte is . The unit symbol for the mebibyte is MiB. The unit was established by the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2000 and has been accepted for use by all major...

s (MiB).

The gigabit is closely related to the gibibit

Gibibit

The gibibit is a multiple of the bit, a unit of digital information storage, prefixed by the standards-based multiplier gibi , a binary prefix meaning 230. The unit symbol of the gibibit is Gibit or Gib....

, a unit multiple derived from the binary prefix

Binary prefix

In computing, a binary prefix is a specifier or mnemonic that is prepended to the units of digital information, the bit and the byte, to indicate multiplication by a power of 2...

 gibi (symbol Gi) of the same order of magnitude, which is equal to = , or approximately 7% larger than the gigabit.

See also

• SI prefix
  SI prefix
  The International System of Units specifies a set of unit prefixes known as SI prefixes or metric prefixes. An SI prefix is a name that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a decadic multiple or fraction of the unit. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to the unit symbol...
  
  
• Gigabyte
  Gigabyte
  The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
  
  
• Gigabit per second
• Gigabit Ethernet
  Gigabit Ethernet
  Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
  
  
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet
  10 Gigabit Ethernet
  The 10 gigabit Ethernet computer networking standard was first published in 2002. It defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of 10 Gbit/s , ten times faster than gigabit Ethernet.10 gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point to point links which are generally connected by...