Then they are re-assembled to form a single message. This is called packet switching. The Internet can handle all types of data including text, numbers, programs, illustrations, photographs, audio, animation and video. Anything you can view on a computer screen or hear through a computer's speakers can be transmitted over the Internet. Think of the Internet as a series of pipes that carry data.
Little pipes can carry only a small amount of data while larger pipes carry more data.
Bandwidth refers to the size of the pipe or the amount of data that can be handled at any one time. Larger pipes, or more bandwidth, not only mean that more people can use the Internet at any one time but it also means that people can work with larger files. Text and numbers take up relatively little bandwidth but audio takes up a lot more and video a great deal more. Today most people connect to the Internet through standard phone lines at a maximum speed of 56 kilobits per second. But some people live in areas where they can connect via their cable system or a high speed telephone access at much higher speeds.