Paper tape punch and reader

Up until the 1970s paper tapes were common way of loading programs and data.
Typically each row on a paper tape would have 8 information hole positions and one sprocket feed hole. Thus each row of holes on the tape could encode 1 byte of data in ASC11.
Data reading and writing speeds were very slow. Tape punches could write data at up to 300 bytes per second. Reading the data on the tape was done either mechanically, using sensing pins, or electro-optically. The electro-optical readers could operate at up to 2000 bytes per second. At these speeds tearing and/or tangling of the tapes were a constant hazard.
POaper tapes would be totally impractical for today's data storage needs. To store 1 megabyte of data you would need 2.5 kilometers of tape and it would take about an hour to write