What does the term 'bit error rate (BER)' measure?

The term 'bit error rate (BER)' is a critical metric in wireless communication that quantifies the reliability of a data transmission. It specifically measures the number of bit errors in a transmission relative to the total number of bits sent. This is expressed as a ratio or a fraction. Having a low BER indicates that the communication system is performing well, and the majority of transmitted bits are being received correctly.

When calculating the BER, you divide the count of erroneous bits—those that were received incorrectly—by the total number of bits transmitted. This ratio informs engineers and designers about the performance of communication systems, allowing them to assess and optimize signal strength, modulation schemes, and error correction methods.

The other options do not accurately reflect the definition of bit error rate. For instance, measurement based on packets or solely focusing on the speed of transmission does not capture the specific relationship between erroneous bits and total bits, which is the essence of BER.