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User information
Data exchanged between users via a telecommunications system From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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User information is the content or data transferred across the functional interface between a source user and a telecommunications system for delivery to a destination user. This information may include voice, video, text, or other forms of digital data.[1]
In telecommunications systems, user information can also include user overhead information, which is auxiliary data generated by the user application and necessary for interpreting the primary content. This contrasts with network overhead, which is introduced by the telecommunications system itself to manage transmission.[2]
User information forms the core of many communication services, such as VoIP, email, file transfer, and streaming platforms. The efficiency, integrity, and security of user information transfer are key performance indicators for modern networks.[3]
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Components
User information typically includes:
- Payload data – the actual content being delivered (e.g., a file, video, or voice stream).
- User-generated metadata – information such as timestamps, filenames, or author tags.
- User overhead – auxiliary information created by the user's system (not the network), e.g., error-detecting codes, headers inserted by applications.[4]
Role in Protocol Layers
In the OSI model, user information is primarily associated with the application, presentation, and session layers, where user applications generate and consume data. The lower layers are typically concerned with transmission, routing, and error correction rather than the content itself.[5]
Security Considerations
Because user information often includes personal or sensitive data, protocols such as TLS and IPsec are used to secure its transmission. End-to-end encryption is especially critical in services handling confidential information, such as messaging apps or online banking.[6]
Examples
- A video call on a mobile device: the user's voice and image constitute user information, while encoding parameters or codec metadata set by the application may be considered user overhead.[7]
- Sending an email: the body text and attachments are user information; email headers like "Subject", "To", or "CC" fields can be classified as user-generated overhead.[8]
See also
References
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