Definition: bandwidth

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

bandwidth
     n : a data transmission rate; the maximum amount of information
         (bits/second) that can be transmitted along a channel

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (2003-OCT-10)

bandwidth

   <communications> The difference between the highest and lowest
   frequencies of a transmission channel (the width of its
   allocated band of frequencies).

   The term is often used erroneously to mean data rate or
   capacity - the amount of data that is, or can be, sent
   through a given communications circuit per second.

   [How is data capacity related to bandwidth?]

   [Jargon File]

   (2001-04-24)

Source: Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001)

bandwidth n. 1. [common] Used by hackers (in a generalization of its
   technical meaning) as the volume of information per unit time that a
   computer, person, or transmission medium can handle. "Those are amazing
   graphics, but I missed some of the detail -- not enough bandwidth, I
   guess." Compare low-bandwidth; see also brainwidth. This generalized
   usage began to go mainstream after the Internet population explosion of
   1993-1994. 2. Attention span. 3. On Usenet, a measure of network
   capacity that is often wasted by people complaining about how items
   posted by others are a waste of bandwidth.