kibit

Kibit, short for kibibit, is a unit of information equal to 2^10 bits, or 1,024 bits. It is used in computing to express data sizes and rates based on binary multiples, as opposed to decimal units that use powers of 10.

One kibibit equals 128 bytes (since 1024 bits divided by 8 equals 128). The term arises from the binary prefix system, where the prefix kibi- denotes 2^10. While the kibibit is recognized in some technical contexts, it remains less common than other binary-derived units such as the kibibyte (KiB) and mebibit (Mib).

In practice, the kibibit is used when discussions or specifications prefer binary multiples over decimal ones. The more widely encountered decimal equivalent is the kilobit (kb), which is 1,000 bits, making the kibibit roughly 2.4% larger than a kilobit. For data rates, 1 kibibit per second equals 1,024 bits per second, or about 1.024 kilobits per second.

See also: bit, kibibyte, kibibit versus kilobit, IEC binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-).

Notes: In formal documentation, the IEC binary prefixes are preferred for clarity (e.g., kibibit versus kilobit can prevent confusion with decimal prefixes). Nonetheless, the term kibibit continues to appear in various technical texts and discussions involving binary data sizes.