What is the purpose of Forward Error Correction (FEC)?

Forward Error Correction (FEC) is a technique used in data transmission to enable the receiver to detect and correct errors that may occur during the transmission process. Its primary purpose is to ensure data integrity and enhance the reliability of communication systems by allowing the receiver to fix issues without needing a retransmission of the data.

In FEC, redundancy is added to the original data being sent. This redundancy allows the receiver to identify which parts of the data may have been corrupted or lost during transmission and to reconstruct the original information based on the remaining data and the added redundancy. Thus, FEC is crucial in scenarios where retransmission is not feasible or would lead to delays, such as in live video or voice communications.

The other options do not accurately define the role of FEC. Enhancing signal strength pertains to amplification techniques, minimizing noise involves signal processing strategies to improve quality during transmission, and improving data compression relates to reducing the size of data rather than correcting errors.