What types of applications typically use UDP?

• A. Applications like video streaming or online gaming where speed is prioritized over reliability.
• B. Email and file transfer which require reliability.
• C. Web browsing with HTTP.
• D. Remote login with SSH.

Answer: (A)

UDP is a lightweight, connectionless transport that prioritizes speed over reliability. Because it has no guaranteed delivery, ordering, or retransmission, it minimizes latency, making it ideal for applications where real-time performance matters and occasional data loss is acceptable. Video streaming and online gaming fit this scenario well: they need data to arrive quickly to keep playback or interaction smooth, even if some packets are lost. In contrast, email and file transfer rely on reliable delivery, and web browsing or SSH require dependable, ordered data streams, which TCP provides. So, UDP is typically used for fast, real-time applications where timely delivery is more important than perfect accuracy.