Explain what a 'routable protocol' means in networking technologies.

A routable protocol is a network protocol that supports data transfer between different networks, allowing devices to determine the optimal route for packet delivery. Such protocols operate at the network layer (layer 3 of the OSI model) and provide routing capabilities, i.e., selecting a path through intermediate devices (routers). An example of a routable protocol is IP (Internet Protocol). Unlike non-routable protocols, which only operate within a single network, routable protocols enable the integration of multiple networks into a single system.