What are the QoS requirements for voice and video calls over a Cisco MPLS VPN?

Cisco's Quality of Service (QoS) guidelines for real-time voice and video over IP networks, including MPLS VPNs, stipulate a one-way latency of less than or equal to 150 milliseconds for acceptable call quality. Meeting this latency ensures minimal delays in communication, preventing noticeable lag that can disrupt the flow of conversations and video streams.

A packet loss of less than or equal to 10 percent is unacceptably high for real-time voice and video; recommended packet loss for voice is typically less than 1 percent.

While 60 ms jitter is an important factor for voice quality, the primary and most comprehensive QoS requirement often cited for voice and video is one-way latency, and jitter should ideally be much lower (e.g., less than 30 ms) for optimal voice.

A one-way latency of less than or equal to 300 ms is too high for acceptable voice and video quality, as it would introduce significant and disruptive delays.