queueing delay

In telecommunication and computer engineering, the queuing delay or queueing delay is the time a job waits in a queue until it can be executed. It is a key component of network delay. In a switched network, the time between the completion of signaling by the call originator and the arrival of a ringing signal at the call receiver. Queues may be caused by delays at the originating switch, intermediate switches, or the call receiver servicing switch. In a data network, the sum of the delays between the request for service and the establishment of a circuit to the called data terminal equipment (DTE). In a packet-switched network, the sum of the delays encountered by a packet between the time of insertion into the network and the time of delivery to the addressee.