What does latency refer to in data transfer?

Latency refers specifically to the delay between the initiation of a data transfer and the actual beginning of that transfer. This concept is crucial in understanding how data is transmitted across networks because it impacts the responsiveness and overall performance of applications and services. High latency can result in noticeable delays, making applications feel sluggish, while low latency contributes to a more seamless user experience.

In the context of data transfer, latency does not deal with the speed of processing data, the quantity of data transferred, or how often data transfer operations occur. Instead, it focuses on the time taken for a command to be executed and the data to begin flowing. This distinction is vital as it emphasizes the importance of time delays in the network performance, rather than just the capacity or frequency of the data being transferred.