How is data measured?

How is data counted, or measured?

Everything you do on the internet uses some data. Some activities use relatively small amounts of data, or just a few megabytes at a time. There are around 1000 megabytes, (MB), in a gigabyte (GB).

eSafety tip

While many online activities may use only a few megabytes (MB) of data, they can add up to several gigabytes (GB) of data over a month. Be sure to keep an eye on how much data you are using each month.

And remember, there are around 1,000 megabytes, or MB, in a gigabyte (GB).

Complex content uses a lot of data

Complex content from the internet uses more data from your internet plan than simple content. Complex content includes video and large photos, while simple content includes emails and text.

What uses the most data?

A web page of text uses hardly any data at all. If you only used the internet to read text, you'd never use all the data in even a very small data plan. Web pages with pictures, such as news sites with photographs or maps, use a bit more data.

Video uses the most data. Short videos, or low or medium image quality videos use less than a high quality, modern movie. These can use up to several gigabytes of data, or as much data as thousands of web pages.

How is my data use tracked?

Your internet provider keeps constant count of how much data is sent to your home or mobile device.

For instance, if you watch a movie using the internet, your provider knows how many megabytes or gigabytes it's using. And remember, there are around 1,000 megabytes (MB) in a gigabyte (GB), so gigabytes are much larger quantities of data than megabytes.

How is data used up?

As you keep watching the movie, more data is sent to your home or mobile device. This data is subtracted from your total monthly data allowance.

If a movie takes up two gigabytes of data, then after you finish watching, you will have used up two gigabytes of monthly data allowance. Remember, this amount resets at the end of the month.

Well done!

You've reached the end of the How is data measured? activity. You've learned that data is measured in megabytes and gigabytes, and that we abbreviate gigabytes to GB and megabytes to MB in writing. You’ve also learned that photos and movies use more data than simple text.

Next up, if you have registered and are logged into the Be Connected website, you'll now be able to take a short quiz to finish the course. If you're not registered, you are now at the end of the course.