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switching
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Two types of telephone switching networks(Left) The tandem, or local, network serves local offices and users; (right) the toll, or long-distance, network switches calls over long-distance circuits.
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switching

communications
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switching, in communications, equipment and techniques for enabling any station in a communications system to be connected with any other station. Switching is an essential component of telephone, telegraph, data-processing, and other technologies in which it is necessary to deal rapidly with large amounts of information.