What is the difference between peak data rate and sustained data rate in telemetry?

• A. Peak rate is the maximum instantaneous rate during bursts; sustained rate is the average rate over a longer period
• B. Peak rate is the average rate over a long period
• C. Sustained rate is the maximum instantaneous rate during bursts
• D. Peak and sustained rates are identical

Answer: (D)

Peak data rate is the highest data rate you can achieve at a single moment, usually during a burst when the channel is momentarily unconstrained. Sustained data rate is the average data rate you can expect over a longer period, after accounting for gaps, protocol overhead, retransmissions, and normal fluctuations. In telemetry, you might see brief spikes reaching the peak rate, but the network’s long-term delivery capability is described by the sustained rate. So, peak and sustained describe different aspects: instantaneous maximum versus long-term average.