Packet-Switched Networks
Packet switching was developed as a solution for the communications implications of interactive processing—it was designed to support bursty data traffic, which has long connect times but low data volumes. Packet switching involves the application of statistical multiplexing, whereby numerous conversations can make use of one common communications channel, which significantly increases transmission efficiency. (Chapter 2, “Telecommunications Technology Fundamentals,” discusses statistical multiplexing in more detail.) However, sharing a communications link introduces latency. A key issue that we have to address in the future is how packet-switched networks can support latency-sensitive traffic such as real-time streams. ...
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