scope:

This standard specifies the standard signaling rates up to 9600 bit/a between Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE) utilizing nominal 4kHz circuits.

Federal telecommunication standards are to facilitate interoperability between telecommunication facilities and systems and compatibility of these systems at the computer-communications interface with data processing equipment.

This standard is to be used by Federal agencies with other Federal Standards or design specifications describing functional, mechanical and procedural characteristics as necessary to achieve interoperability. For data rates above 9600 bit/s, whether or not 4kHz circuits are utilized, FED-STD-1001 applies. Nothing in this standard precludes DTE-DTE application.