What is the purpose of the color code used on DMR repeater systems?

In Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), a 'Color Code' (CC) serves a purpose very similar to CTCSS (PL) tones in analog FM repeaters. Your radio's color code setting must match the repeater's color code for your transmission to gain access and be heard. The color code does not define the physical frequency pair, the digital codec, or the minimum signal strength required. It is purely a digital squelch and access mechanism designed to prevent interference between different DMR repeaters that might share the same frequency in adjacent geographic areas.