bps
(Bits per second)
A measurement of data transmission speed. Measures the numbers of bits (a bit is either a "1" or a "0") transmitted in a second.
See: Bit
Loosely following the metric system, bps can also be express in kbps (kilo = 1,000 bits per second), Mbps (Mega = 1,000,000 bits per second), or Gbps (Giga = 1,000,000,000 bits per second).
In wireless systems, this is often either a "peak" or "average" number. Peak is a theoretical maximum - rarely achieved outside of a lab. Average is generally a more realistic number.
Last updated Thursday by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
