What is the effect of latency in a network?

Latency in a network refers to the time it takes for data to travel from the source to the destination. When latency increases, it results in a longer delay in the transmission of data packets. This can significantly impact the performance of applications, especially those that require real-time interactions, such as video conferencing, online gaming, or VoIP. Higher latency means that packets take longer to reach their destination, leading to sluggishness in user experience and potential timeouts in communication between devices.

Other options describe effects that do not directly correlate with latency. For instance, a reduction in data packet loss typically refers to improved reliability, bandwidth availability pertains to the amount of data that can be transmitted at once, and improved response time is an outcome of lower latency, rather than an effect of latency itself. Therefore, the effect of latency is clearly tied to increased delays in data transmission.