When data is sent across the Internet, it is sent in “packets”. These small chunks of data are sent from one end of the connection to the other, and in both directions.

Occasionally, a connection will experience issues with the packets being transported.

In the case of “high latency and low jitter”, the packets are taking longer than usual, and longer than preferred, to reach their destination. Here, the latency determines the time taken for the packets to reach their destination, while the jitter determines the fluctuation in latency; from low to high.

Since the jitter is low, it is unlikely that the latency will be caused by congestion somewhere on the Internet, as the experienced latency is relatively constant. Instead, the likelihood is that of general poor bandwidth availability, such as that experienced on mobile networks, or simply that of an overly large physical distance from the local network to a media server.

Pickle already implements measures to improve audio quality on low bandwidth networks. However, it is unrealistic to expect good quality streaming data when bandwidth throughput is very narrow. Improving this throughput with a better, higher-rate Internet connection will alleviate many common call issues and provide a more reliable experience.

If a higher bandwidth is not possible, investigate whether your network supports Quality of Service (QoS), which prioritises VoIP related data throughput, allowing reduced latency without the need to alter your Internet connectivity.

The Pickle platform uses modern technology to determine your general location so that it can connect your calls to your nearest media server. In some circumstances, this dynamic geographic determination can be incorrect. Please do talk with us if you feel this might be the circumstance with your latency issues.

If you are using a VPN, then your call connectivity will have a greater distance to travel. Additionally, using a VPN may also cause issues when determining your nearest media server used to connect your calls, resulting in greater latency. To resolve this, consider bypassing the VPN for all Pickle related connections.