Instantaneous Throughput (Networking)

networking

Definition

Instantaneous Throughput

Let a link deliver data at a time-varying rate $r(t)$ bits/s.

The instantaneous throughput at time $t$ is:

$$T_{\text{inst}}(t)=r(t)$$

It captures the throughput at a single point in time rather than over an interval. Equivalently, for a small $\Delta t$:

$$T_{\text{inst}}(t)\approx \frac{\Delta N}{\Delta t}$$

where $\Delta N$ is the number of bits delivered in $[t,t+\Delta t]$.