Method for connection acceptance control and rapid determination of optimal multi-media content delivery over networks

A method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of digital content from at least one server device to at least one client device by way of a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing content from a live event into the at least one server device, the live event having a fixed duration;
• injecting a delay into the delivery of content from the at least one server device to the at least one client device;
• and
• delivering content from the at least one server device to the at least one client device, wherein bandwidth is allocated to the at least one client as follows:
• describing a control variable which represents a target flow rate of content from the server device to each client device;
• determining time-varying constraints on the target flow rate of the content;
• determining a cost function of the control variables for all clients, wherein the cost function represents an aggregate flow rate and is a sum of all flow rates for all clients;
• and
• prescribing bandwidth to all clients based upon a value of the control variables that maximize the cost function comprising performing periodic computations to update the value of the control variable such that the bandwidth can be continuously allocated to each client.