Packets of real-time information are sent with a source rate greater than
zero kilobits per second, and a time or path or combined time/path
diversity rate initially being zero kilobits per second. This results in
a quality of service QoS, optionally measured at the sender or the
receiver. When the QoS is on an unacceptable side of a threshold of
acceptability, the sender sends diversity packets at an increased rate.
Increasing the diversity rate while either reducing or maintaining the
overall transmission rate is new. CELP-based multiple-description data
partitioning sends the base or important information plus a subset of
fixed excitation in one packet and sends the base or important
information plus the complementary subset of fixed excitation in another
packet. Reconstruction produces acceptable quality when only one of the
two packets is received and better quality when both packets are
received. Reconstruction provides for single and multiple lost packets.