{{Short description|Sending information over a communications medium}} {{one source|date=March 2026}} thumb|Ancient Egyptian drawing depicting a courier delivering a letter. {{Use American English|date = March 2019}} In telecommunications, '''information transfer''' is the process of moving messages containing user information from a source to a sink via a communication channel. In this sense, information transfer is equivalent to data transmission which highlights more practical, technical aspects.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Information transfer methods — |url=https://aceproject.org/main/english/et/etf01a.htm |access-date=2026-03-03 |website=aceproject.org |language=en}}</ref>

The information transfer rate may or may not be equal to the transmission modulation rate.

Bidirectional information transfer is called information exchange.

==Non-technical meaning== In a non-technical context, information transfer is sometimes used to signify knowledge transfer or teaching. A successful transfer of information depends on many aspects, not least the choice of the specific medium (media-adequacy).

==See also== *Federal Standard 1037C in support of MIL-STD-188. *Information-transfer transaction

==References== {{reflist}}

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Category:Data transmission

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