Decibel-milliwatts (dBm) to Gigawatts (GW) Conversion

Decibel-milliwatts

The decibel-milliwatt (dBm) is a unit of power expressed on a logarithmic scale relative to one milliwatt (1 mW). It is defined as dBm = 10 × log₁₀(P / 1 mW), where P is power in milliwatts. Used universally in RF engineering, telecommunications, and audio systems: Wi-Fi signal strength is expressed in dBm (typical values −30 to −90 dBm); a 0 dBm signal equals 1 mW; 30 dBm equals 1 W; −10 dBm equals 0.1 mW. Note: dBm cannot be converted with a simple multiplier — it requires the logarithmic formula.

Gigawatts

The gigawatt (GW) is a unit of power equal to exactly 1,000,000,000 watts (10⁹ W), the scale of national electrical grids and large-scale power generation. The total installed electricity generation capacity of France is approximately 130 GW; that of the United States exceeds 1,100 GW. A lightning bolt peaks at around 1 TW for microseconds. The rapid growth of solar and wind power is often described in gigawatts of installed capacity added per year.