In telecommunication, the term burst transmission has the following meanings:

1. Transmission that combines a very high data signaling rate with very short transmission times - i.e. the message is compressed. This is popular with the military and spys, who wish to minimise the chance of their radio transmissions being detected.

2. Operation of a data network in which data transmission is interrupted at intervals.

Note: Burst transmission enables communications between data terminal equipment (DTEs) and a data network operating at dissimilar data signaling rates. Synonym data burst.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188