Bandwidth refers to a data transfer rate which is a metric used to determine how much data can be transmitted from one device to another.  The parameter is in bits of data per second and the higher the bits, the more bandwidth you have available for data transfer.

Bandwidth determines by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The speed often depends upon the distance between your PC and the ISP’s server and the type of infrastructure they use such as T1, T2, etc. The amount of bandwidth your ISP provides determines the amount of traffic that can handle over the connection.

Although bandwidth is beneficial to a variety of functions when it comes to using mobile devices and various telecommunications services. In reality, bandwidth doesn’t matter regarding speed when it comes to browsing the Web and using Web applications.  In this regard, what matters when browsing the Web is latency.

Why Latency is Important

Latency is the measurement of time delay and matters when it comes to sending out requests from your Web browser to a server.  Once the server receives the request, a response is sent back to your browser. Usually in the form of a web page with interactive components.

On a network, latency can be referred to as a delay in data transfer and is the amount of time it takes for data packets to travel from one device to another destination.  The round trip time determines the level of latency.

The process is similar to calculating round trip time when you are taking a trip to a specific destination and back.  The difference in latency is measured regarding milliseconds instead of minutes and hours and, is measured by the amount of time it takes to send a request to a server and receive a response.

Latency thought of regarding the number of lanes on a highway vs. the speed limit. A road with multiple lanes will have a higher speed limit which gets you to and from your destination faster.  A highway which only has one path going in both directions will have a slower speed limit and more congestion which makes getting to and from your destination more time-consuming.

So Why Does It Matter?

Latency matters when it comes to requesting and then downloading applications from the Web.  For example, if you send a request to the server for a specific web page, there is more to receiving the page in your browser than meets the eye.  Along with the HTML code included in the web page, there are other objects which must accompany the download. Such as CSS and script files to complete the page request.  The result can be more than 45 objects on average which must download.

The typical web browser is only capable of sending out a few requests at a time. Which results in multiple trips to and from the server to retrieve the objects needed. This to interact with a web page appropriately.  If there is excessive latency, it means recovering a web page could be potentially tedious and time-consuming.  Downloading large files is not the issue.  The issue is if you cannot efficiently retrieve small file web page components, there is no way you can download large files.  Even if you have tons of bandwidth since latency is the problem.

Causes of Latency

Latency can cause by some issues that include router problems, hardware delays, data transmission methods, switching, and other factors.  Also, many businesses use various methods for data transmissions such as cable connectivity, wireless access, voice connections, fiber optics, and more.

Latency can also be caused by propagation which is the distance between the location sending the data and the destination. Propagation also involves IT infrastructure used by an organization and the ISP. And the processing delays that can occur when transmitting data over proxies.

There are two different types of latency which include low and high. Low latency involves a short delay in data transfer. Where high latency is an extended delay that can significantly affect business productivity and operations.

The bottom line is when running business applications which rely on the Internet. Paying for a lot of bandwidth plays a subordinate role in learning about latency. And how it will affect business productivity.

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