Computer Terminology: What Is Bandwidth?

How wide is your bandwidth?

Bandwidth is a measure of the amount of data that can be sent over a network connection. It indicates the maximum transmission capacity, not necessarily the amount of capacity actually being used.

Illustration

Imagine an Internet connection as a water hose: The water flowing through the hose is the data, and the size of the hose is the bandwidth. The bigger the opening, the more water can flow through at any one time.

Misconception

Bandwidth is sometimes used--incorrectly--to refer to the amount of data transmitted. This is actually "data transfer," and in the water-hose metaphor, it would be the total volume of water that went through the hose.

Broadband

A broadband connection is one that allows data to be sent on multiple channels simultaneously. This broadens the available bandwidth, hence the name.

Measurement

Bandwidth is expressed in terms of how much data can be transmitted per second.

Units

Units of bandwidth measurement are, in ascending order of magnitude, bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (Mbps), gigabits per second (Gbps) and Terabits per second (Tbps). Each unit is 1,000 times larger than the one that precedes it.

References

• Web Hosting Secret Revealed: About Bandwidth
• TechTerms.com