In telecommunications, what defines the information-carrying capacity of a system?

The information-carrying capacity of a telecommunications system is defined by bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the range of frequencies that a transmission medium can carry, and it is a key factor in determining how much data can be transmitted in a given amount of time. A higher bandwidth allows for more data to be sent simultaneously, thereby increasing the overall capacity for information transmission.

Throughput, although important, measures the actual data transfer rate achieved during transmission and can be influenced by various factors such as network congestion and overhead. Latency refers to the delay before data begins to be transferred and is not directly related to the amount of data that can be carried. Capacity, while related, is a more general term that can encompass both bandwidth and throughput. Thus, bandwidth is the most precise term for defining the information-carrying capacity of a system.