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Communication channel
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<p>A communication channel refers either to a physical <a href="/facts/Transmission_medium/yT1uXLmq">transmission medium</a> such as a wire, or to a <a href="/facts/Connection-oriented_communication/2yAhgueh">logical connection</a> over a <a href="/facts/Multiplexed/YE7hK8cw">multiplexed</a> medium such as a radio channel in <a href="/facts/Telecommunications/vxoj1cxR">telecommunications</a> and <a href="/facts/Computer_network/3w5RM99p">computer networking</a>. A channel is used for <a href="/facts/Information_transfer/cDXdYmhQ">information transfer</a> of, for example, a digital <a href="/facts/Bit_stream/Pf9oGYyY">bit stream</a>, from one or several <i><a href="/facts/Sender_(telephony)/obTUQXeY">senders</a></i> to one or several <i><a href="/facts/Receiver_(information_theory)/I7NBQwac">receivers</a></i>. A channel has a certain <a href="/facts/Channel_capacity/55wJYsS6">capacity</a> for transmitting information, often measured by its <a href="/facts/Bandwidth_(signal_processing)/7eMDzfJI">bandwidth</a> in <a href="/facts/Hz/6Wshj5qm">Hz</a> or its <a href="/facts/Data_signaling_rate/MX5a58TH">data rate</a> in <a href="/facts/Bits_per_second/Nv9VoT7T">bits per second</a>. </p><p>Communicating an information <a href="/facts/Signal/41YqUJ8c">signal</a> across distance requires some form of pathway or medium. These pathways, called communication channels, use two types of media: <a href="/facts/Transmission_line/cYlqaPo3">Transmission line</a>-based <a href="/facts/Telecommunications_cable/5mwslE6W">telecommunications cable</a> (e.g. <a href="/facts/Twisted-pair/L426Jk2C">twisted-pair</a>, <a href="/facts/Coaxial_cable/aG9FfCpL">coaxial</a>, and <a href="/facts/Fiber-optic_cable/1kD3lpot">fiber-optic cable</a>) and <a href="/facts/Broadcast/AV1f3dGy">broadcast</a> (e.g. <a href="/facts/Microwave_transmission/bz9H9Ete">microwave</a>, <a href="/facts/Communications_satellite/y5RXPMDT">satellite</a>, <a href="/facts/Radio/XFr909M2">radio</a>, and <a href="/facts/Consumer_IR/Wv7S6qBP">infrared</a>). </p><p>In <a href="/facts/Information_theory/qNLH3U5P">information theory</a>, a channel refers to a theoretical <i>channel model</i> with certain error characteristics. In this more general view, a <a href="/facts/Data_storage_device/uCvJ6nrq">storage device</a> is also a communication channel, which can be sent to (written) and received from (reading) and allows communication of an information signal across time. </p>