Faxes are (or were originally) point-to-point electronic transmissions -- one fax machine dialing via POTS to another fax machine. In addition, the received fax

Faxes are (or were originally) point-to-point electronic transmissions -- one fax machine dialing via POTS to another fax machine. In addition, the received fax, and the response sheet received by the sender, have time and date stamps that give legally-admissible proof of transmission and reception (and the sender will get a report of failure if that's the case as well). As a former fax server administrator (and troubleshooter/maintainer of everyday standalone fax machines), I think the point-to-point nature of traditional, non-Internet fax is the killer feature: no packets split up and resting on intermediate servers, etc. Fax servers have one or more individual fax modem cards, so the only network involved is before or after the actual fax transmission. I know fax is outdated. There are other effective technologies to replace it. But I've found myself more than once speaking up as a defender of the technology because, as originally used and codified into law, it serves a specific purpose and, as a bonus, if you know how to use a photocopier and a telephone it's drop-dead simple to use.