System and method for adjusting the traffic carried by a network

A system for assuring the quality of service delivered by a network for a preferred type of information, comprising:

• means for determining a preferred type of information for the network;
• means for determining a quality of service requirement for the preferred type of information;
• means for determining the performance of the network with respect to the preferred type of information;
• and
• means for changing a parameter by which non-preferred information is sent to the network by an end-user terminal coupled to the network if the network cannot meet the quality of service requirement for the preferred information, the changing means including means for identifying a type of information that the end user terminal either is or is not permitted to send to the network.

A digital data signal adapted to be received by an end-user terminal coupled to a network, the data signal made by steps including:

• determining a quality of service requirement for the network for a preferred type of information;
• determining the quality of service delivered by the network with respect to the preferred type of information;
• and
• if the quality of service delivered by the network is less than the quality of service requirement, then formulating a status message adapted to instruct the end-user terminal to change a parameter by which it sends information to the network by identifying a type of information that the end user terminal either is or is not permitted to send to the network.