Computer report III: Data by the packet: Because computing costs are now so low, an unusual new concept of data communications is feasible

The most dominant force over the past 20 years in both computer and communications architecture has been the continuous and rapid decrease in the cost of computer hardware. Not only has this electronics revolution affected the capability and design of computer systems, but it has also made possible a radically new concept of data communications. Called packet switching, this concept is strongly dependent on the cost of computing since it uses computers to correct transmission errors-, to provide high reliability through alternate routing, and to allocate communication bandwidth dynamically on a demand basis rather than as a preassigned bandwidth.