Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem
The Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem shows PCM devices can operate without introducing distortions within their designed frequency bands if they provide a sampling frequency at least twice that of the highest frequency contained in the input signal. For example, in telephony, the usable voice frequency band ranges from approximately 300 Hz to 3400 Hz. For effective reconstruction of the voice signal, telephony applications therefore typically use an 8000 Hz sampling frequency which is more than twice the highest usable voice frequency.