When data is sent to a specific group rather than all users, which transmission method is being utilized?

The correct answer is multicast, which refers to a transmission method where data is sent to a specific group of users who are interested in receiving that information. This method allows efficient use of bandwidth by sending a single copy of the data to multiple recipients who are part of that specified group, rather than sending separate copies to each user individually.

In situations where there are multiple users who need the same data, multicast avoids the unnecessary duplication of data streams that would occur with techniques like unicast, which delivers data to one individual user at a time. By focusing on a defined group, multicast is particularly effective for applications such as live video streaming and online gaming, where the same data needs to be delivered to many users who have opted in to receive it.

The efficiency of multicast makes it a preferred choice in scenarios where you want to conserve bandwidth and minimize network congestion while still effectively reaching a targeted audience.