Describe Circuit switching, Packet switching and Virtual Circuit Packet switching. Explain their suitability for different applications such as telephone and internet.

Packet Switching

Packet switching differs from the circuit switching as the methodology is used in digital transmission but not as analog transmission as done in circuit switching. In this case, the data is transmitted in the form of packets without considering the type, content or the structure of the data. The delay in the bit rate here is variable and is a function of the load/ traffic on the network. The packet transmission is suitable in use of internet where the packets are subjected to buffering and queuing. The fee in this case is charged as the information unit being transferred.  The packet switching is applied as connection oriented packet switching and virtual circuit packet switching.

Virtual circuit packet switching

In the virtual circuit packet switching, before taking on the communication a path is established between the source and final channels on which the packets will be routed. The path which is established is known as the virtual circuit as the user can view this circuit as a dedicated physical circuit. The virtual packet switching ensures that all the packets are delivered in the same order.  There is almost no/ negligible overheads in transmission. It is more reliable form of communication.