What term describes the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given time?

The term that describes the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given time is bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the maximum rate at which information can be transferred along a communication channel, often measured in bits per second (bps). It indicates the capacity of the network to handle data traffic, and a higher bandwidth allows for more data to be sent simultaneously, enhancing the user experience with faster loading times for websites and smoother video streaming.

While throughput is sometimes used interchangeably with bandwidth, it actually refers to the actual amount of data successfully transferred over a network in a given timeframe, which can be influenced by various factors such as network congestion. Latency pertains to the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction, and packet loss relates to the situation where data packets traveling across a network fail to reach their destination. These concepts are essential in understanding network performance, but they each represent different aspects of data transmission.