Graceful degradation for communication services over wired and wireless networks

A communication device configured to be connected to a network, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• computer code configured to be executed by the processor, wherein the computer code includes instructions that cause the communication device to:
• receive a voice signal representative of speech of a user of the communication device as the speech is spoken by the user;
• encode the voice signal to generate voice media that is a first bit rate representation of the voice signal as the voice signal is received;
• store the voice media in persistent storage on the communication device as voice media is encoded and generated;
• transmit the voice media on the network as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored when the available bandwidth on the network is adequate to transmit the voice media as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored in the persistent storage;
• and
• transmit the voice media on the network out of the persistent storage when the available bandwidth on the network is not adequate to transmit at the first bit rate of the voice media as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored in the persistent storage.

A computer implemented method for transmitting voice media by a communication device connected to a network, comprising:

• receiving a voice signal representative of speech of a user of the communication device as the speech is spoken by the user;
• encoding the voice signal to generate voice media that is a first bit rate representation of the voice signal as the voice signal is received;
• storing the voice media in persistent storage on the communication device as voice media is encoded and generated;
• transmitting the voice media on the network as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored when the available bandwidth on the network is adequate to transmit the voice media as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored in the persistent storage;
• and
• transmitting the voice media on the network out of the persistent storage when the available bandwidth on the network is not adequate to transmit at the first bit rate of the voice media as the voice media is encoded, generated and stored in the persistent storage.