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P definition - telecom

Peta (P), from the Greek penta, meaning five, translates to quadrillion, referring to the fact that, in terms of order of magnitude in base 1,000, Peta is 1,000 5 . In order, that puts it right behind kilo (thousand), Mega (million), Giga (billion), and Tera (trillion).
In terms of the electromagnetic spectrum, PHz (PetaHertz) is a quadrillion (10 15 ) Hertz, which is in the range of visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, and x-rays, none of which currently have any application in telecommunications. A Pbps would be a quadrillion (10 15 ) bits per second. In transmission systems, therefore, a quadrillion would be exactly 1,000,000,000,000,000, since the measurement is based on a base 10, or decimal, number system.That definitely would be broadband, if it were possible, but it is difficult to imagine a contemporary application for that level of bandwidth.
In computing and storage systems, a PB (PetaByte) is actually 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes (1,024 5 , or 2 50 ) bytes, as the measurement of internal computer memory is based on a base 2, or binary, number system.The term PB comes from the fact that 1,125,899,906,842,624 is nominally, or approximately, 1,000,000,000,000,000. Until recently, a petabyte was rarely even mentioned. A very few supercomputers and supercomputer centers have access to a PB of networked storage. Google, the Web search company, in 2004 reportedly had 100,000 or so servers that shared a distributed, fault-tolerant file system on the order of a PB.To put a PB in further perspective, some sources suggest that the total volume of information contained in 20,000,000 four-drawer file cabinets full of 250,000,000,000 pages of text would equal approximately 1 PB of storage. See also byte, electromagnetic spectrum, and Hertz.
Power. See also power.

P definition - telecom

Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.