The number of bits that are transmitted over a channel each second (bits per second, or bps) is called the bit rate (also known as data rate). The higher the bit rate, the faster the data arrives. In the early days of the internet, bit rates were in the thousands (kilo-) of bits per second (kbps). Now, common bit rates are in the millions (mega-) or billions (giga-) of bits per second (Mbps or Gbps).