What does the term 'signal-to-noise ratio' indicate in wireless communication?

The term 'signal-to-noise ratio' (SNR) is a critical parameter in wireless communication that quantifies the level of desired signal relative to the level of background noise. It is defined as the ratio of the power of the carrier signal, which is the intended information signal, to the power of the noise, which represents interference and unwanted signals.

A higher signal-to-noise ratio indicates that the signal is much stronger than the noise, leading to clearer and more reliable communication. In contrast, a lower SNR means that the noise is closer in power to the signal, which can result in reduced signal quality, increased errors, and poor performance in data transmission. Therefore, understanding SNR is crucial for assessing the quality of a wireless communication link, optimizing system performance, and doing effective signal processing.

Other options such as bandwidth, signal strength over time, and duration of a transmitted signal, while important factors in wireless communication, do not reflect the qualitative measure of signal strength in relation to noise that the signal-to-noise ratio represents.