This document discusses data rate limits in communications. It explains that the data rate depends on three factors: bandwidth, signal level, and channel noise. The Nyquist theorem provides the maximum bit rate for a noiseless channel based on bandwidth and number of signal levels. Shannon's theorem gives the capacity of a noisy channel based on bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Several examples are provided to demonstrate calculating bit rates and required signal levels using the Nyquist and Shannon formulas.