Maximum sustainable encoding bit rates for video downloads

An apparatus, comprising:

• a client device to wirelessly communicate with a base station included in a cellular network, wherein the client device is configured to download content provided by a server, wherein (i) the content is encoded at a plurality of different encoding bit rates, (ii) a system coupled to the cellular network includes a network interface and one or more processors coupled to the network interface, (iii) the network interface includes memory, and (iv) the memory includes code stored therein that when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors:
• to identify, via the network interface, a state of congestion in a communication channel between (i) the base station included in the cellular network and (ii) the client device that during operation downloads the content, which is encoded at the plurality of different encoding bit rates, from the server via the base station and the communication channel,
• to estimate a current communication bit rate at which content is being downloaded by the client device,
• to calculate, responsively to the state of congestion, a maximum sustainable encoding bit rate (MSEBR) for the content as a function of the estimated current communication bit rate, and
• to inhibit the client device, in response to calculating the MSEBR, from downloading a segment of the content that is encoded at any one of the predefined bit rates that exceeds the MSEBR.