The maximum data transfer rate that a device can achieve over a channel depends on several factors. In addition to potential channel interferences that negatively impact the transmission of data units – for example, thick walls or other devices using the same radio frequencies in the case of WiFi – the latency or response time between the sender and receiver also plays an important role.
Overview of data transfer rates in bits per second:
1 Bit/s ⇒ 1 Bit per second
1 Kbit/s (equivalent to 1,000 bit/s) ⇒ 1 Kilobit per second
1 Mbit/s (equivalent to 1,000 kbit/s) ⇒ 1 Megabit per second
1 Gbit/s (equivalent to 1,000 Mbit/s) ⇒ 1 Gigabit per second
1 Tbit/s (equivalent to 1,000 Gbit/s) ⇒ 1 Terabit per second (not yet encountered in residential areas)
