# Digital Networks and Device Connectivity
If every digital device stood alone without being connected, its functions would be extremely limited. The greatest strength of the digital age lies precisely in its ability to connect one device to another, forming an interconnected communication network—this is what constitutes a digital network. From short-range networks such as Bluetooth, which connects phones to wireless headsets, and local area networks inside buildings that use cables or Wi-Fi wireless signals, to networks spanning entire continents that we know as the internet. Information is transmitted by breaking files into discrete units called “packets,” sending them one by one along the available routes, and then reassembling them in their entirety at the destination.
Thanks to this system, information can travel along several different routes at once, and if one route is disrupted, it can find another—making the system highly resistant to disruption. Connection speeds continue to improve: what was once only fast enough to send text slowly has now developed into fourth-generation networks, fifth-generation networks, and beyond, making it possible to send sharp video, talk while seeing each other’s faces, and control devices remotely in real time without delay. The world feels increasingly closer—the boundaries of distance seem to disappear—but on the other hand, the reliability and security of these communication routes have become increasingly important to protect.