Measuring Capacity of Communication Media

The capacity of a communication channel is simply the maximum amount of signals or traffic it can carry. In data communication, the transmission medium is also called a channel. The capacity of a channel is measured in two ways: bandwidth and data transfer rate.

Bandwidth refers to the range of frequencies that a transmission medium can carry. It is measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher bandwidth means the channel can carry more data at once.

Data transfer rate is the amount of data that can be transmitted from one point to another in a given amount of time. It is measured in bits per second (bps). Common units include:

• Kilobits per second (Kbps)
• Megabits per second (Mbps)
• Gigabits per second (Gbps) …