Which protocol is primarily used to transmit HTML pages over the internet?

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the primary protocol used for transmitting HTML pages over the internet. It operates as an application layer protocol within the TCP/IP suite, which facilitates the communication between web browsers and servers. When you enter a URL in your web browser, the browser uses HTTP to request the HTML content from the server that hosts the website. This protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and it also dictates how web servers and browsers should respond to various commands.

HTTP is particularly designed for the efficient transfer of hypertext documents and supports the retrieval of multimedia content, which is essential for rendering web pages. With the widespread use of web applications, understanding HTTP's role is fundamental for anyone involved in web development, network security, or IT administration.