What characteristic distinguishes UDP from TCP?

UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, is characterized by its faster transmission speed compared to TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol. This speed advantage primarily arises because UDP is a connectionless protocol, meaning it does not establish a connection before sending data. In contrast, TCP requires a handshake process to create a reliable connection between the sender and receiver.

Moreover, UDP does not include mechanisms for ensuring data integrity, ordering, or guaranteed delivery, which contributes to its simplicity and lower latency. As a result, UDP is typically preferred for time-sensitive applications such as video streaming or online gaming, where speed is more critical than reliability.