Throughput is the actual data rate a network connection sustains — measured in bits per second (Mbps, Gbps), often different from advertised bandwidth.
Explanation
Bandwidth is theoretical maximum; throughput is what you actually get after protocol overhead, congestion, and any bottlenecks along the path. A "gigabit" internet plan often measures 800-950 Mbps sustained. Throughput matters for downloads, streaming, and large uploads; latency matters more for interactive use. Bandwidth-heavy proxy use (streaming 1080p video, downloading large files) benefits from proxies on high-throughput links — datacenter IPs on gigabit uplinks handle it comfortably. Residential-IP proxies inherit home broadband throughput, which is much lower.
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