What does the term 'latency' refer to in digital communications?

Latency in digital communications refers to the time delay experienced in the system before data transmission begins. This includes the time it takes for data packets to travel from the source to the destination or the time it takes for a system to respond to a request to begin sending data. High latency can negatively impact real-time applications, such as online gaming or video conferencing, where timely data delivery is essential for a seamless experience.

The other options refer to different aspects of data transmission. The speed of data transmission concerns how quickly data can be sent, while the error rate pertains to the frequency of errors occurring during transmission. The capacity of data transferred relates to the maximum amount of data that can be handled over a communication channel at any given time. Each of these concepts plays a role in the overall performance of digital communication systems, but latency specifically highlights the delays associated with data transmission processes.