This article is about the concept in computing and networking. For use in signal and wireless communications, see Bandwidth (signal processing). For other uses, seeBandwidth (disambiguation).

In computing, bandwidth is the bit-rate of available or consumed information capacity expressed typically in metric multiples of bits per second. Variously, bandwidth may be characterized as network bandwidth,^[1] data bandwidth,^[2] or digital bandwidth.^[3][4]

This definition of bandwidth is in contrast to the field of signal processing, wireless communications, modem data transmission, digital communications, and electronics, in whichbandwidth is used to refer to analog signal bandwidth measured in hertz, meaning the frequency range between lowest and highest attainable frequency while meeting a well-defined impairment level in signal power.

However, the actual bit rate that can be achieved depends not only on the signal bandwidth, but also on the noise on the channel.