The term packet-switching or packet switched are descriptive terms which refer to the process of breaking digital information into packets and transmitting the packets over many connections to reach the opposite end where the packets are reassembled. Such systems often provide methods for discovering, recovering or retransmitting lost or damaged packets.

The public phone system is one type of packet switched communications system. Your local area network (LAN) is another. The Internet and the World Wide Web also use packets but are often said to be routed instead of switched.