What does bandwidth refer to in telecommunications?

Bandwidth in telecommunications specifically refers to the transmission capacity of a network or communication channel. It indicates the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a given period of time, usually measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (Mbps), or gigabits per second (Gbps). High bandwidth allows for more data to be sent simultaneously, which can lead to faster internet speeds and improved performance for activities that require a lot of data, such as streaming video or large file transfers.

The other choices pertain to different aspects of telecommunications but do not accurately define bandwidth. Storage capacity relates to how much data can be stored on a device; network security involves protective measures against unauthorized access; and access speed refers to the rate at which a user can connect to and utilize the internet or a network. While these elements are important in the context of telecommunications, they do not represent what bandwidth inherently means.