What is the term for the rate at which data can be transmitted through a connection?

The correct answer is Bandwidth, which refers to the maximum rate of data transfer across a network connection, often measured in bits per second (bps). It indicates how much data can be transmitted in a given amount of time, acting as a measure of capacity.

Bandwidth is essential in understanding the performance of a network; it determines how much information can flow through the connection simultaneously. A higher bandwidth means that more data can be sent at once, making it crucial for applications requiring large amounts of data to be transferred quickly, such as video streaming or large file downloads.

Throughput, while sometimes used interchangeably with bandwidth, refers to the actual rate at which data is successfully transmitted over a network, often affected by various network conditions and interference. Latency measures the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer, which is separate from the rate of data transmission. Speed is a more general term that doesn't specifically quantify the data transfer rate in the same technical context as bandwidth does. Thus, Bandwidth is the most precise term for describing the maximum potential data transfer rate of a connection.