The petabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix peta (symbol P) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 10¹⁵ (1 quadrillion, short scale),^[1] and therefore

1 petabit = 10¹⁵bits = 1000000000000000bits = 1000 terabits.

The petabit has the unit symbol Pbit or Pb.

The petabit is closely related to the pebibit, a unit multiple derived from the binary prefix pebi of the same order of magnitude,^[2] which is equal to 2⁵⁰bits = 1125899906842624bits, or approximately 13% larger than the petabit.

Research

In October 2022, scientists from Denmark and Sweden reported the first data transmission to exceed 1 Pbit/s using only a single laser and a single optical chip.^[3][4]