What does a unit of baud measure in telecommunications?

A unit of baud specifically measures the modulation rate of a signal in telecommunications. This means it quantifies the number of signal changes or symbols that occur per second in a communication channel. Each baud represents one signal unit in which data can be transmitted, indicating the speed at which information is communicated over a transmission medium.

In practical terms, the higher the baud rate, the more data can be transmitted in a given time, facilitating faster communication. It’s important to note that baud rate is often confused with bit rate, but they are distinct; while baud measures signal changes, bit rate measures the actual amount of data (in bits) transmitted per second.

This understanding is crucial in telecommunications because optimizing baud rate can lead to more efficient data transmission, directly impacting network performance.