If the WiFi network (or, the "internet connection") in your home handles everything from HD video streaming and web surfing to music streaming and online gaming, it may be time to consider Gigabit Internet service also called Gig-speed and ultra-high-speed Internet. The promise of this next-generation high-speed Internet — capable of delivering speeds up to 40 times faster than the typical home connection, based on the FCC benchmark for what constitutes broadband speeds — is allowing users to optimize their home Internet speed and Internet use across all devices.
Gigabit Internet service transmits data up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) — or 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps). With that rate of speed, you can download a full HD movie in just a few minutes, update your smartphone’s operating system in seconds, and join videoconferences with ultra-high definition video, just to name a few.
How Gig-speed Internet works
Gigabit Internet service can be delivered to your home using either fiber-optic cable or the coaxial cable currently used to deliver your TV, Internet, and phone service.
Most home Internet service delivers faster speeds for downloading vs. uploading, due to average consumer needs. For example, the data speeds needed to download an HD movie are much greater than the speeds needed to load a link in a web browser. However, gigabit service over a fiber-optic network can deliver the same speeds uploading as downloading, or the same "upload" speed and "download" speed.
Gigabit service can also be transmitted over traditional cable wiring, which does not require a fiber-optic line (or "fiber internet") running to your house. Xfinity Gigabit Internet Service, which uses the DOCSIS 3.1 standard, can download data up to 1 Gbps, and upload data at 35 Mbps.
Gigabit to Mbps conversion information
Wondering how Gigabit to Mbps converts in the real world? Here's a chart for your reference:
| Gigabit per second | Megabit per second |
|---|---|
| 1 Gbps | 1,000 Mbps |
| 2 Gbps | 2,000 Mbps |
| 3 Gbps | 3,000 Mbps |
| 4 Gbps | 4,000 Mbps |
| 5 Gbps | 5,000 Mbps |
... and so on.
