Communication Media

Definition - What does Communication Media mean?

Communication media refers to the means of delivering and receiving data or information. In telecommunication, these means are transmission and storage tools or channels for data storage and transmission.

The term is also commonly used in place of mass media or news media.

Techopedia explains Communication Media

Different media are employed for transmitting data from one computer terminal to the central computer or to other computer systems inside some kind of network. The most commonly used communication media include cable, satellite, microwaves and fiber optics.

The communication media acts as a communication channel for linking various computing devices so that they may interact with each other.

Contemporary communication media facilitate communication and data exchange among a large number of individuals across long distances via teleportation, email, teleconferencing, Internet forums, etc. Traditional mass media channels such as TV, radio and magazines, on the other hand, promote one-to-many communication.

There are two forms of communication media:

  • Analog: Includes the conventional radio, telephonic and television broadcasts.
  • Digital: Computer mediated communication, computer networking and telegraphy.

The most commonly used data communication media include:

  • Wire pairs
  • Coaxial cable
  • Microwave transmission
  • Communication satellite
  • Fiber optics

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