Practicalities [of data compression]

Data compression is important in making maximal use of limited information storage and transmission capabilities. One might think that as such capabilities increase, data compression would become less relevant. But so far this has not been the case, since the volume of data always seems to increase more rapidly than capabilities for storing and transmitting it. In the future, compression is always likely to remain relevant when there are physical constraints—such as transmission by electromagnetic radiation that is not spatially localized.