Which network measurement involves the variation of latency over a period of time?

Jitter refers to the variation in latency, which is the time it takes for data to travel from one point to another in a network. In networking, consistent latency is ideal for applications, especially those that are sensitive to timing, such as voice over IP (VoIP) or video streaming. When jitter is present, it indicates that there are fluctuations in the delay experienced by packets, which can lead to disruptions in service quality, such as audible gaps in a conversation or choppy video playback. Network engineers often monitor jitter to assess the stability and reliability of a connection, aiming to minimize these variations to maintain a seamless user experience.

In contrast to jitter, options like delay specifically denote the time taken for a single packet of data to reach its destination, bandwidth reflects the maximum data transfer capacity of the network at any given time, and throughput measures the actual amount of data successfully transferred over a network in a given period. Jitter specifically focuses on the consistency of those delays rather than their overall levels or maximum capacities.