What is a characteristic of UDP data transmission?

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is known for its characteristic of transmitting data in a continuous stream of packets. This means that it sends messages called datagrams without establishing a connection between the sender and receiver, allowing data to flow freely and rapidly. This continuous stream method is suitable for applications where speed is more critical than reliability, like live video or audio streaming, where it's acceptable to drop some packets rather than delay the transmission.

In contrast to other protocols like TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which establishes a connection and ensures that packets are delivered in the correct sequence and without loss, UDP does not provide such guarantees. This is why it lacks the mechanisms for ensuring packet delivery or the ability to encrypt data; encryption would typically be handled at another layer of security instead of as part of the UDP protocol itself. Additionally, UDP does not manage how traffic is divided across servers, which is typically an aspect addressed by load balancers or application-level protocols.