What technique involves sending multiple signals over one communication line?

Multiplexing is the technique that involves sending multiple signals over one communication line. This process is crucial in telecommunications and networking, as it allows for the efficient transmission of data by consolidating different data streams into a single channel.

In multiplexing, the individual signals are combined in such a way that they do not interfere with each other, enabling the transmission of multiple messages simultaneously. This is particularly important for maximizing the use of available bandwidth in a communication system, as operators can transmit more data without requiring additional physical connections.

Various forms of multiplexing, such as time-division multiplexing (TDM) and frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), utilize different methods to differentiate between the signals, but the overarching principle remains the same: multiple data streams share a single medium.

In contrast, techniques like demodulation involve converting a modulated signal back into its original form, encoding focuses on transforming data into a format suitable for transmission, and frequency division pertains to dividing a spectrum into smaller frequency bands for use. While each of these methods plays a significant role in data transmission, multiplexing specifically addresses the need to simultaneously send various signals over a single line efficiently.