How is signaling speed measured in relation to bauds?

Signaling speed, commonly measured in bauds, refers to the rate at which discrete signal changes occur. Each baud represents one signal condition or change per second. This means that if a transmission medium can change its signal state 1000 times per second, it operates at 1000 bauds. This measurement focuses on the ability of the medium to signal different conditions, rather than the number of bits being sent.

Other choices do not accurately reflect how signaling speed is defined. For example, measuring by the number of bits transmitted per minute would involve converting signal changes to bits, which isn't a direct measurement of signal changes themselves. Similarly, total data transferred in bytes per second is more about data throughput rather than the signaling changes occurring within that time frame. The number of users on a network has no relation to signaling speed; rather, it pertains to network capacity and load. Therefore, the correct understanding of signaling speed is focused on the discrete signal conditions per second.