Abstract: A method of transmitting digitized voice signals as packets of bits in a digital transmission network to which a plurality of terminals acting as sources of voice signals are attached. The method includes, at the transmitting end and for each source, the steps of: a dividing the signal into successive, digitally-coded segments; performing a so-called source activity detection; and assembling the bits resulting from the coding operation into packets, each packet being provided with a header containing, in particular, a parity bit whose logic value is modified whenever an inactivity or long pause is detected. At the receiving end, detection of a change in the value of said parity bit causes the delivery of a packet of bits to the decoder/synthesizer to be delayed by a given time interval called retention delay.