| SONET Overhead | |||||||||||
| rate | # of STS-1 frames | SOH (section overhead | LOH (line overhead) | POH (path overhead) | total OH | total bytes per frame | total payload | payload % bandwidth utilized | raw bitrate (Mbps) | payload bitrate (Mbps) | |
| non-concatenated | STS-1/OC-1 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 9 | 36 | 810 | 774 | 95.556% | 51.84 | 49.536 |
| STS-3/OC-3 | 3 | 27 | 54 | 27 | 108 | 2430 | 2322 | 95.556% | 155.52 | 148.608 | |
| STS-9/OC-9 | 9 | 81 | 162 | 81 | 324 | 7290 | 6966 | 95.556% | 466.56 | 445.824 | |
| STS-12/OC-12 | 12 | 108 | 216 | 108 | 432 | 9720 | 9288 | 95.556% | 622.08 | 594.432 | |
| STS-18/OC-18 | 18 | 162 | 324 | 162 | 648 | 14580 | 13932 | 95.556% | 933.12 | 891.648 | |
| STS-24/OC-24 | 24 | 216 | 432 | 216 | 864 | 19440 | 18576 | 95.556% | 1244.16 | 1188.864 | |
| STS-36/OC-36 | 36 | 324 | 648 | 324 | 1296 | 29160 | 27864 | 95.556% | 1866.24 | 1783.296 | |
| STS-48/OC-48 | 48 | 432 | 864 | 432 | 1728 | 38880 | 37152 | 95.556% | 2488.32 | 2377.728 | |
| STS-96/OC-96 | 96 | 864 | 1728 | 864 | 3456 | 77760 | 74304 | 95.556% | 4976.64 | 4755.456 | |
| STS-192/OC-192 | 192 | 1728 | 3456 | 1728 | 6912 | 155520 | 148608 | 95.556% | 9953.28 | 9510.912 | |
| concatenated | STS-3c/OC-3c | 3 | 27 | 54 | 9 | 90 | 2430 | 2340 | 96.296% | 155.52 | 149.76 |
| STS-9c/OC-9c | 9 | 81 | 162 | 9 | 252 | 7290 | 7038 | 96.543% | 466.56 | 450.432 | |
| STS-12c/OC-12c | 12 | 108 | 216 | 9 | 333 | 9720 | 9387 | 96.574% | 622.08 | 600.768 | |
| STS-18c/OC-18c | 18 | 162 | 324 | 9 | 495 | 14580 | 14085 | 96.605% | 933.12 | 901.44 | |
| STS-24c/OC-24c | 24 | 216 | 432 | 9 | 657 | 19440 | 18783 | 96.620% | 1244.16 | 1202.112 | |
| STS-36c/OC-36c | 36 | 324 | 648 | 9 | 981 | 29160 | 28179 | 96.636% | 1866.24 | 1803.456 | |
| STS-48c/OC-48c | 48 | 432 | 864 | 9 | 1305 | 38880 | 37575 | 96.644% | 2488.32 | 2404.8 | |
| STS-96c/OC-96c | 96 | 864 | 1728 | 9 | 2601 | 77760 | 75159 | 96.655% | 4976.64 | 4810.176 | |
| STS-192c/OC-192c | 192 | 1728 | 3456 | 9 | 5193 | 155520 | 150327 | 96.661% | 9953.28 | 9620.928 |