Network Communication Latency

Definition ∞ Network communication latency is the delay experienced when data travels across a network. This delay measures the time it takes for a message to travel from its source to its destination, including transmission, propagation, and processing times. In distributed systems like blockchains, high latency can significantly slow down transaction confirmation and overall network throughput. Minimizing this delay is crucial for achieving efficient and responsive decentralized applications.
Context ∞ Reducing network communication latency is a constant engineering challenge in blockchain development, directly impacting the scalability and user experience of decentralized applications. Factors such as geographical distribution of nodes, network infrastructure, and protocol design all contribute to latency. Ongoing research focuses on optimizing peer-to-peer communication protocols and consensus mechanisms to mitigate these delays and improve system responsiveness.