How much is the carrier suppressed below peak output power in a single-sideband phone transmission?

Single-sideband (SSB) transmission improves efficiency by suppressing both the carrier and one of the sidebands, allocating all the transmitter's power to the remaining sideband that carries the useful information. To achieve this efficiency and prevent the carrier from wasting power or causing interference, it must be significantly reduced. In a properly designed and functioning SSB transmitter, the carrier should be suppressed by at least 40 dB below the peak envelope output power. While greater suppression (like 60 dB) is possible and desirable, 40 dB is the recognized standard minimum threshold. Lower values like 20 dB or 30 dB indicate inadequate suppression, which would compromise the efficiency benefits of SSB.