What is the main advantage of packet switching over circuit switching?

The main advantage of packet switching over circuit switching is that it allows more users to share the network efficiently. In a packet-switched network, data is broken down into small packets that are sent independently through the network, allowing multiple communications to occur simultaneously over the same infrastructure. This method makes more efficient use of available bandwidth because packets can take various routes to their destination, minimizing idle time and maximizing utilization of network resources.

In contrast, circuit switching establishes a dedicated communication path between two endpoints for the duration of the conversation, which can lead to unused capacity during pauses in communication. Packet switching, therefore, supports dynamic allocation of resources and optimizes network usage, permitting a higher number of users to communicate concurrently without requiring a constant dedicated connection for each user.