What is one potential consequence of network congestion?

Network congestion occurs when there is a high volume of data traffic that exceeds the capacity of the network, leading to delays and bottlenecks. One significant consequence of this congestion is decreased application responsiveness. When applications are unable to send or receive data promptly due to network delays, users experience slower loading times, interruptions, or timeouts. This can affect various applications, from simple web browsing to more complex services like video streaming or online gaming, ultimately degrading the user experience.

The other potential consequences do not accurately reflect the impact of congestion; while increased encryption or improved performance might seem plausible in certain contexts, they are not typical outcomes of congestion. Similarly, extended network availability would suggest the network is functionally operating well, which is not the case during congestion. Thus, decreased application responsiveness is the most fitting answer concerning the effects of network congestion.