Bits Per Second (bps)
Bits per second (bps) is the fundamental unit of data transfer rate, measuring the number of bits transmitted per second between two devices or systems. It is widely used in telecommunications, networking, and computing to quantify the speed of data transmission. A bit, the smallest unit of digital information, represents a binary value of 0 or 1. bps serves as the baseline for describing the capacity of communication channels, from early modems operating at hundreds of bps to modern high-speed networks achieving billions of bps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_rate
The bps metric is scalable, often expressed in multiples like kilobits per second (Kbps), megabits per second (Mbps), gigabits per second (Gbps), and terabits per second (Tbps). For example, 1 Mbps represents 1 million bits transferred per second, commonly used in broadband internet speeds. Early internet connections, such as dial-up modems in the 1990s, operated at speeds measured in Kbps, while modern fiber-optic networks can deliver speeds in the range of hundreds of Gbps. This scalability highlights the evolution of data transfer technologies over the decades.
https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bit-rate
bps is not only used for networking but also for describing the efficiency of data storage and streaming technologies. For instance, video streaming platforms often define bitrates in bps to describe the quality of their content. Higher bitrates correspond to better image and sound quality, making bps an essential metric in ensuring optimal user experiences. As technology continues to advance, bps remains a universal standard for measuring and comparing data transfer performance across various industries.