A method and system are disclosed for providing voice communication over a packetized
network in which quality of service is guaranteed for voice communications. The
method involves identifying reserved paths within the network, such as multi-protocol
label switching paths. When a call is made, the identified reserved paths are evaluated
to determine whether each contains sufficient bandwidth for the requested voice
communication. The effective bandwidth for the call is estimated based on the codec
used for the call, the service class parameter set from the caller's user profile,
the time of day, and other parameters. A priority parameter is set for the requested
voice communication, which may be based on the service class parameter, and is
mapped to a specific Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) and 802.1p service
class parameter. If the reserved path is determined to contain sufficient bandwidth,
the requested voice communication is transmitted over the reserved path at the
set priority. If the path does not contain sufficient bandwidth, an error message
is sent to inform the caller that QoS can not be guaranteed for the call, and a
decision is made whether the call should proceed nevertheless.