Final answer:
A modem, which stands for modulator-demodulator, is the device that converts digital data to analog signals and vice versa, allowing for transmission over networks. It enables the communication of binary data through different types of connections, like phone lines and satellite links, and is integral to modern digital communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device that converts data from digital to analog and vice versa to transmit signals over a network is known as a modem, which stands for modulator-demodulator. A modem modulates digital data from a computer or other digital device into an analog signal that can travel over traditional phone lines, cable systems, or satellite connections. Conversely, it demodulates incoming analog signals back into digital data that the receiving digital device can understand.
In the context of cell phone conversations and television voice and video images, this conversion is essential for transmitting digital signals through various media. The binary code represented by sequences of ones and zeros, which is handled by digital circuits, is encoded and decoded by the modem for effective communication over networks.
Modern devices make extensive use of integrated circuits to manage digital data, including the processing and transmission of digital signals over a network. Without modems, the essential task of converting and reconverting signals for communication between digital and analog devices over networks would not be possible.