Fax sending speeds

Fax machines with higher sending speeds, though typically more expensive, will often pay for themselves in reduced phone charges, which can be a significant part of the overall cost of sending faxes.

The majority of fax machines these days transmit at a top speed of 36.6 kilobits per second (kbps). This equals a send time for a single page of about six to 10 seconds. Some low-end models are only capable of 14.4 kpbs, which is still faster than the standard 9.6 kpbs of years ago. Regardless of their top speeds, any two fax machines can communicate. However, they can only connect at the maximum speed of the slower machine.

Data compression protocols
Simply put, data compression protocols reduce the time it takes to send a page by describing it with a minimum amount of data. Virtually all fax machines are equipped with a basic compression protocol called Modified Huffman (MH). Machines equipped with the more advanced Modified Read (MR) or Modified Modified Read (MMR) protocols can send documents as much as 25 percent faster.

Some machines use proprietary compression protocols to increase the speed of transmission even further. You should know, however, that these protocols only work when sending to or from same-brand models. Unless you frequently fax between two offices with the same type of machine, you won't noticeably reduce your overall sending costs with such brand-specific compression systems.