Actually each ascii character takes up a byte (8 bits). You can get this down to just 7 bits if you aren't using the extended table, but a byte is very conveni

Actually each ascii character takes up a byte (8 bits). You can get this down to just 7 bits if you aren't using the extended table, but a byte is very convenient and what most programs use for the size of a char. That means that with an 11Kbps line you are getting about 1,000 characters per second once you factor in other communication over head (stop bits, parity bits, etc). While this may sound fast it is painfully slow for anything other than typing in single line commands and reading single line responses. The transfer of a blank 4KB text file will take three seconds. The transfer of a plain text file the size of a book would take a few minutes. With the additional overhead of SSH you will actually see the characters appearing on the screen like a lame 80s hacker movie.