This Recommendation defines a set of performance parameters for packet networks and end terminals that can assist in quantifying the end-to-end quality of speech and other voiceband applications. It is largely focused on quality impairments resulting from delay variation and packet loss which are peculiar to IP and other packet-based technologies, and which do not appear in traditional TDM networks. It discusses the interactions and trade-offs among these packet impairments, and describes mechanisms such as de-jitter buffers and packet loss concealment for reducing their effects on the quality of speech and other applications.