Packet switching is used to optimize the use of the channel capacity available in digital telecommunication networks such as computer networks, to minimize the transmission latency (i.e. The time it takes for data to pass across the network), and to increase robustness of communication. The most well-known use of packet switching is the Internet and local area networks. The Internet uses the Internet protocol suite over a variety of Link Layer protocols. For example, Ethernet and frame relay are very common. Newer mobile phone technologies (e.g., GPRS, I-mode) also use packet switching.
