Many rebels died to procure the Plans for the Death Star, which were then transmitted to the Tantive IV. As we all know, the Tantive IV was then captured by Vader and the Imperials. Leia stores the plans within the data banks of R2-D2. We're told repeatedly how important R2 is because he must be delivered to the rebels so that they examine the plans to destroy the Death Star.
But why?
Even just within the original trilogy, we're shown examples of long range, interstellar communication.
Why weren't the plans sent directly to the rebels instead of the Tantive IV, or sent directly from the Tantive IV when they first received them?
Answer
In short: Holonet (the only proper long range communication tool) was under Imperial control. Rebels did NOT have any long-range communications equipment.
If you look at the EU, the information was retrieved by Han Solo's ex-girlfriend Bria Tharen on an imperial outpost during what was, in effect, a suicide attack. They used the outpost's comm to beam the information to the Rebel ship in-system, they had no other communication means. The ship itself was a blockade runner, with no long range comm equipment of its own and - to repeat the first paragraph - no chance of successfully transmitting via the Holonet.
Yes, Count Dooku succeeded in using the HoloNet for Separatist propaganda purposes, but Republic forces were quick to shut down those Shadowfeeds.”
He looked at Ison. “If memory serves, COMPOR itself was established as a result of the navy’s actions at the time.”
UPDATE:
The story of how Holonet came about to be under Imperial control is covered in New Disney Canon book "Tarkin". In short, the Separatists under Dooku's guidance highjacked Holonet equipment and spread Holonet propaganda. As a result, Palpatine moved to fully government-control 100% of Holonet equipment and broadcasting.
It had been just nine months after the Battle of Geonosis that Count Dooku’s scientists had succeeded in slicing into the Republic HoloNet by seeding the spaceways with hyperwave transceiver nodes of a novel design. The Separatists could have kept quiet about the infiltration and tasked the nodes to gather intelligence about Republic military operations. Instead, Dooku—as if suddenly intent on winning hearts and minds rather than defeating the Republic with his droid armies—began using the HoloNet to broadcast propaganda Shadowfeeds, providing Separatist accounts of battle wins and disinformation about Republic war crimes, and in the end spreading apprehension among the populations of the Core Worlds that a Separatist victory was imminent.
It was, however, Separatist success in jamming Republic communication relays that had brought Tarkin into play. Together with operatives of the Republic’s fledgling cryptanalysis department and elements of the Twelfth Army, Tarkin had been sent to Murkhana both to spearhead the invasion and to oversee the dismantling of the Shadowfeed operation.
With the Emperor’s proclamation of the New Order, some aspects of the HoloNet had come under strict Imperial control, as much to provide the military with exclusive communications networks as to censor unauthorized news feeds.
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