News Weather Horoscopes E-mail Visit our sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone circuits are often used to transfer data, although their relatively limited bandwidth makes them relatively slow paths for data. Recent techniques, however, have made it possible to send data over phone lines at rates of 28,800 bits per second and higher. Packet switching allows a single channel to be used for multiple concurrent transmissions.
Data packets contain addresses that indicate the intended destination.
To minimize data-communication errors, special codes are used. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.