dedicated line

communications A telephone line leased expressly for the

purpose of connecting two users more-or-less permenantly..

Such lines may be "voice grade" which provides the bandwidth

and signal to noise ratio of ordinary public switchedtelephone network circuits, or specified in ways which allow

transport of suitably encoded digital signals at faster rates.

In some cases, lines may be physical wires between the

communicating parties. Over longer distances, it is common

for the connection to be virtual, which means that although

the two users can communicate only with each other, their

signals and others are multiplexed, amplified, switched,

scrambled, demultiplexed and so on in complex ways between the

end points.

This contrasts with a dial-up connection which is only

opened when one end requires it.

(1996-08-10)