Latency Explained

It is time to update our understanding of the primary factors directly affecting end-user Internet performance. What we have learned is that high throughput alone is not sufficient. Latency is also a critical factor in providing a high-performance Internet connection. But that is not latency as we have traditionally understood it; rather, it is what we now define as 'working latency.' Over thirty years, industry has collectively missed a key factor that drives end users' Internet quality of experience (QoE). The industry has historically been focused on increasing bandwidth. But now we recognize that it is not just greater throughput that matters, but also consistently low latency. The industry is now coming to a new understanding of what latency really is, the role that latency plays, QoE, how latency occurs in any access network technology, and how to improve it. This report by the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group aims to help policymakers develop a new understanding of latency, and industry should implement and deploy technologies that reduce latency.