In computer networking, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is the term applied to transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second (1 billion bits per second). The most popular variant 1000BASE-T is defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard.

Gigabit Ethernet supports a theoretical maximum data transfer rate of 1 Gbps. What Is Gigabit Ethernet? What you need to know about this high-speed communication standard.

Gigabit Ethernet allows network transfers up to 1.000 Mbps using standard Cat 5 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cabling. How can this be accomplished, since Cat 5 cables can run only up to 100 Mbps?