Systems/methods of reducing latency in communications

A first device that is configured to communicate with a second device and is configured to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a resource for communicating real-time voice information to/from a second device via a packet-switched connection;
• detecting, over a first interval of time, first real-time voice information and generating a first plurality of packets comprising the first real-time voice information that is detected;
• and
• transmitting the first plurality of packets comprising the first real-time voice information over the packet-switched connection using the resource;
• then
• over a second interval of time that follows the first interval of time, is adjacent thereto and is devoid of any real-time voice activity, maintaining the resource even though the second interval of time is devoid of any real-time voice information packets associated therewith to be transmitted;
• then
• over a subsequent interval of time that is adjacent to the second interval of time, detecting second real-time voice information and generating a second plurality of packets comprising the second real-time voice information that is detected over said subsequent interval of time;
• and
• transmitting the second plurality of packets comprising the second real-time voice information over the packet-switched connection using the resource.

A method comprising:

• allocating a resource for communicating voice information over a packet-switched connection between a first device and a second device;
• transmitting using the resource, over the packet-switched connection and over a first interval of time, a first plurality of packets associated with first voice activity that is detected over the first interval of time;
• maintaining allocation of the resource during a second interval of time that immediately follows the first interval of time even though the second interval of time is devoid of any detected voice activity;
• and
• over the second interval of time, maintaining unaltered the resource that has been allocated for communicating voice information between the first device and the second device and refraining from using the resource for any purpose other than for said communicating voice information between the first device and the second device;
• and then
• during an interval of time that immediately follows the second interval of time and comprises voice activity, transmitting a second plurality of voice packets that are associated therewith over the packet-switched connection using the resource.

A wireless communications device that is configured to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a resource for communicating voice information over a packet-switched connection between the wireless communications device and a second device;
• detecting a first voice activity during a first interval of time, forming a first plurality of packets comprising the first voice activity and transmitting the first plurality of packets over the packet-switched connection using the resource that has been received;
• then
• during a second interval of time, that follows the first interval of time and is adjacent thereto, maintaining unaltered the resource that has been received even though there is no voice activity detected during said second interval of time and the second interval of time is devoid of any voice-related packets to be transmitted;
• and then
• detecting a second voice activity during an interval of time that follows the second interval of time and is adjacent thereto, forming a second plurality of packets comprising the second voice activity and transmitting the second plurality of packets over the packet-switched connection using the resource that has been received and has been maintained.