Method of reducing delays in packet data transmission

The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications and related systems. More particularly, the invention is directed to a method of more effectively conducting telephone communications over a computer network, such as the Internet. A method of reducing transmission delays in a packet-switched telephone system. Each of the data packets carrying telephone voice data is under-filled when necessary in order to avoid undue delays in sending the packets to their designation. Under-filling of the packets allows a routine telephone conversation to take place with out being adversely affected by network delays or delays normally attributed to the time needed to accumulate sufficient data to fill a packet to its normal size. Packets may also be filled to their normal size by combining data from more than one telephone call if the data from the other calls is immediately available. Filling an otherwise under-filled packet with data from multiple telephone calls avoids the inefficiencies which would otherwise be present with under-filled packets for a single call.