Overview
IEC 80000-13:2025 – Quantities and units – Part 13: Information science and technology is an international standard developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in collaboration with ISO. This document provides the essential framework for the uniform treatment of quantities, units, names, symbols, and definitions specific to information science and technology. It ensures consistency and clarity when dealing with data measurement, transfer rates, storage sizes, information content, and related concepts in ICT.
By standardizing units and terminologies, IEC 80000-13:2025 supports accurate communication and data exchange across industries, research, and regulatory environments. Where relevant, it also specifies conversion factors and introduces clear conventions for using SI and binary prefixes (such as kibi, mebi, gibi) in reference to digital quantities.
Key Topics
IEC 80000-13:2025 covers a comprehensive set of quantities and units relevant to information science and technology, including:
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Data Measurement and Storage
- Storage capacity and equivalent binary storage capacity, expressed in bits, bytes, octets, and their binary and metric multiples.
- Clear guidance on SI prefixes (k, M, G, etc.) and binary prefixes (Ki, Mi, Gi, etc.).
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Information Transfer
- Transfer rates such as bit rate, byte rate, and their binary multiple equivalents (e.g., Mbit/s, MiB/s).
- Period and duration of data elements, bit periods, and modulation rates (baud).
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Information Theory Concepts
- Definitions and units for entropy, information content (shannon, hartley, nat), redundancy, error probability, and mutual information.
- Channel capacity, transinformation content, and related statistical measures.
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Telecommunications Quantities
- Traffic intensity (erlang), queue length, waiting and loss probabilities, and call intensities.
- Signal energy per bit and carrier power.
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Binary Prefixes
- Official binary prefixes from kibi (Ki, 2^10) to quebi (Qi, 2^100), clarifying the difference between binary and decimal multiples for storage and data rates.
Applications
IEC 80000-13:2025 is highly valuable across multiple application areas in information technology, telecommunications, electronics, data storage, and systems engineering:
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Standards Compliance and Interoperability
Organizations use this standard to ensure technical documentation, software interfaces, and hardware specifications refer to quantities and units in a consistent and internationally recognized way.
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Product Development
Engineers and developers rely on these definitions to accurately specify storage and processing capacities, transfer rates, and performance criteria for digital devices and networks.
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Regulatory and Legal Frameworks
IEC 80000-13:2025 provides a reference for regulations involving data rates, storage measurement, or information content, supporting fair trade, consumer protection, and safety.
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Academic and Research Contexts
The uniform definitions for quantities like entropy, information rate, and redundancy help maintain clarity in scientific communication and research publications.
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Education and Training
Universities and training institutions embed these standards to ensure students learn correct usage of ICT quantities and units, avoiding misconceptions about bytes, bits, prefixes, and rates.
Related Standards
To ensure holistic understanding, IEC 80000-13:2025 is often used alongside other key standards in the IEC 80000 and ISO 80000 series, including:
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ISO 80000-1:2022 – Quantities and units – Part 1: General
Foundations for the entire 80000 series, covering terminology, symbols, and SI conventions.
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ISO 80000-3:2019 – Quantities and units – Part 3: Space and time
Definitions relevant to variables such as time interval, duration, and frequency, which are fundamental for data transfer rates and periods in ICT.
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SI Brochure (BIPM)
For reference on the International System of Units, widely linked with IEC and ISO standards for consistency in scientific and technical applications.
By following IEC 80000-13:2025, professionals ensure accurate and globally consistent communication of information science and technology concepts, enhancing interoperability and supporting innovation across the ICT ecosystem.
