Gigabit Ethernet (IEE 802.3) was originally developed to be used as the backbone of large networks, connecting servers, routers and switches. It’s 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet, with transfer rates of 1000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps. This was widely adopted with the advent of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. Due to the lowering costs of this technology, Gigabit Ethernet is gradually replacing Fast Ethernet as the most common network standard.