Routing delay refers to the length of time that is required to move a packet from source to destination through the internetwork. Delay depends on many factors, including the following: Bandwidth of intermediate network links Port queues at each router along the way Network congestion on all intermediate network links Physical distance to be traveled Since delay is a conglomeration of several important variables, it is a common and useful metric. Answer option D is incorrect. Path length is defined as the sum of the costs associated with each link traversed. Answer option B is incorrect. Bandwidth refers to the available traffic capacity of a link. Answer option C is incorrect. Load refers to the degree to which a network resource, such as a router, is busy.