Definition

Noun: - (Computer Science) Data Transfer Rate: A unit of measurement representing the number of bits transmitted or processed per second. It is a fundamental metric for quantifying the speed of data communication in digital systems.

Usage

• Primary Meaning: Used to specify the speed of data transmission over a network or communication channel.
  • The old modem had a maximum speed of 56 kbps.
  • Fiber optic connections can deliver speeds of over 1 Gbps.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: Often prefixed with standard metric multipliers (kilo-, mega-, giga-) to denote higher rates (kbps, Mbps, Gbps). It is a key specification for internet bandwidth, modem speeds, and interface throughput.
  • The service plan guarantees a download speed of 300 Mbps.
• Distinction from "Bps": Crucially, "bps" (lowercase 'b') stands for bits per second, while "Bps" (uppercase 'B') stands for bytes per second (1 byte = 8 bits). This distinction is critical in computing.
  • A 100 Mbps connection transfers data at 12.5 MBps (megabytes per second).

Variants and Related Words

• bitrate (n): Often used synonymously with bps in multimedia contexts (e.g., audio or video encoding).
  • A higher bitrate generally results in better video quality.
• bandwidth (n): While related, this term more broadly refers to the maximum data transfer capacity of a network path, often measured in bps.
  • The network's bandwidth is insufficient for high-definition streaming.

Synonyms

• Data rate
• Transfer rate
• Bit rate

Related Phrases

• bits per second: The full, unabbreviated form of "bps".
  • The specification lists the speed as 10,000,000 bits per second.

Noun

1. (computer science) the rate at which data is transferred (as by a modem)