SCTP, or Stream Control Transmission Protocol, is a transport layer protocol used for transmitting data over networks. It was designed to provide reliable, message-oriented communication, making it suitable for applications like telephony and video conferencing. SCTP supports multi-homing, allowing a single connection to use multiple IP addresses, which enhances reliability and fault tolerance. One of the key features of SCTP is its ability to manage multiple streams of data within a single connection. This means that if one stream experiences delays or packet loss, it does not affect the others, improving overall performance. SCTP is often used in conjunction with IP networks for efficient data transmission.