What is the difference between MB, GB and TB?
MB, GB, TB: what do these units actually mean? We explain data volumes simply — and above all the essential difference between the amount of data and the speed of your connection.
When choosing a mobile plan, an Internet connection or storage space, you often come across units such as MB, GB or TB.
But what do they actually mean?
The units used to measure data
Digital data is measured in bytes and in multiples of that unit.
From the smallest to the largest:
- KB (Kilobyte) ≈ 1,000 bytes
- MB (Megabyte) ≈ 1,000 KB
- GB (Gigabyte) ≈ 1,000 MB
- TB (Terabyte) ≈ 1,000 GB
Good to know: In computing, some applications use a base of 1,024. Telecom operators, however, generally use decimal units (1 GB = 1,000 MB). This is the convention used for mobile and Internet subscriptions.
What do these units represent?
The MB (Megabyte)
The MB is used to measure small amounts of data.
For example, a photo taken with a smartphone, a PDF document or a song may represent a few MB.
The GB (Gigabyte)
The GB is the unit most commonly used for mobile plans.
Every activity on the Internet consumes data: browsing websites, using social media, listening to music, watching videos or taking part in a video conference.
The richer the content (photos, high-definition videos, etc.), the higher the consumption in GB.
The TB (Terabyte)
The TB is mainly used to measure the storage capacity of a computer, a server or a Cloud space.
For example, a modern computer may be fitted with a 512 GB or 1 TB SSD drive.
Don’t confuse volume with speed
A common mistake is to confuse the amount of data with the speed of the connection.
- MB, GB and TB indicate an amount of data.
- Mbit/s or Gbit/s indicate a connection speed.
For instance, a plan including 100 GB lets you use up to 100 GB of mobile data, whereas a 1 Gbit/s connection indicates the maximum speed at which that data can be downloaded or uploaded.
These two notions are completely different.
In summary
- MB, GB and TB are used to measure a volume of data.
- The larger the unit, the greater the amount of data it represents.
- Mobile plans are generally expressed in GB, while storage capacities are often given in GB or TB.
- Finally, never confuse the volume of data (GB) with the connection speed (Mbit/s or Gbit/s).
Understanding these units will make it easier to compare operators’ offers and choose a plan that really matches your needs.
