What is an inefficient characteristic of synchronous time division multiplexing (TDM) that is addressed by statistical TDM?

The characteristic of synchronous time division multiplexing (TDM) that is addressed by statistical TDM is the transport of empty time slots. In synchronous TDM, each channel in a communication system is allocated a fixed time slot during which it can send data, regardless of whether the channel has data to transmit or not. This means that if a particular channel is not actively sending data, its designated time slot remains empty and is wasted. This inefficiency arises because the fixed allocation does not adapt to varying data transmission needs.

Statistical TDM improves upon this by allocating time slots dynamically based on the actual demand from each channel, allowing for a more efficient use of available bandwidth. By only assigning time slots to channels that have data to transmit, statistical TDM minimizes the problem of empty time slots, leading to increased overall throughput and better utilization of the system's resources. This adaptability makes it better suited for handling variable traffic loads compared to synchronous TDM.