Convert dBm ⇄ watts, milliwatts and dBW instantly. Built for RF, microwave and 5G/LTE link-budget work — with the exact formula, worked examples and a common power reference table.
⚡ dBm · mW · W · dBW — logarithmic power conversionExample: 43 dBm ≈ 20 W — a typical macro-cell power per port. 23 dBm ≈ 200 mW — a handset's max uplink.
The decibel-milliwatt (dBm) is a logarithmic unit: it expresses power as a ratio to 1 milliwatt. To go from dBm to linear power, raise 10 to one-tenth of the dBm value; to go the other way, take the base-10 logarithm and scale by 10.
The "+30" comes from the 1 W : 1 mW ratio being a factor of 1000 = 10³, i.e. 30 dB. A handy mental shortcut: every +3 dB doubles the power and every +10 dB is ×10. So 43 dBm = 40 dBm + 3 dB = 10 W × 2 = 20 W.
| dBm | dBW | Power | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| +46 | +16 | ≈ 40 W | Macro base station (per port) |
| +43 | +13 | ≈ 20 W | Macro / high-power radio |
| +40 | +10 | 10 W | High-power amplifier |
| +37 | +7 | ≈ 5 W | Micro / small cell |
| +30 | 0 | 1 W | Indoor small cell · CB radio |
| +23 | −7 | ≈ 200 mW | 5G/LTE handset max (power class 3) |
| +20 | −10 | 100 mW | Wi-Fi / Bluetooth class 1 |
| +15 | −15 | ≈ 32 mW | Typical Wi-Fi client |
| 0 | −30 | 1 mW | Reference level |
| −30 | −60 | 1 µW | Strong received signal |
| −90 | −120 | 1 pW | Good cell-edge RX level |
| −110 | −140 | 10 fW | Near RX sensitivity limit |
dBm is the everyday unit for transmit power and received signal strength (RSRP/RSSI) in cellular and Wi-Fi systems.