Systems and methods for enhanced data delivery based on real time analysis of network communications quality and traffic

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for delivering digital data content, which when executed, perform a method comprising:

• determining a throughput capacity for a network communication link extending from a data sender to a user equipment;
• detecting at least one network communications metric to determine a content delivery throughput for delivering the digital data content from the data sender to the user equipment via the network communications link;
• determining a network communications state associated with a diminished content delivery throughput, based on the detected at least network communications metric;
• and
• causing the data sender to throttle back a sending rate for the digital data content if the diminished content delivery throughput us caused by congestion on the network communications link and permitting the user equipment to control the sending rate without causing the data sender to throttle back if the diminished content delivery throughput is not caused by congestion on the network communications link.

A computer-implemented method for delivering digital data content, the method comprising:

• determining a data throughput capacity on a network communication link extending from a data sending device to a user equipment;
• determining a content delivery throughput for delivery in the digital data content from the data sending device to the user equipment on the network communication link;
• determining a network communications state associated with a diminished content delivery throughput, less than the data throughput capacity, based on at least one network communications metric;
• and
• causing the data sender to throttle back a sending rate for the digital data content if the diminished content delivery throughput us caused by congestion on the network communications link and permitting the user equipment to control the sending rate without causing the data sender to throttle back if the diminished content delivery throughput is not caused by congestion on the network communications link.

A user equipment for affecting determinations associated with a data content transfer, the user equipment comprising:

• at least one processor;
• at least one memory storing a network link monitor;
• and
• a data communications component,
• wherein the network link monitor of the user equipment is configured to:
• detect at least one network communications metric;
• determine a network communications state associated with a content delivery throughput that is less than a data throughput capacity for a network communication link extending from a data sending device to the user equipment, based on the detected at least one network communications metric;
• and
• wherein the user equipment is configured to transfer the determined network communications state to the data sending device in order to facilitate a determination of a rate for a data content transfer.

A method for delivering digital data content from a data source to user equipment in a communications network having a non-wireless network portion and a wireless network portion, the method comprising:

• determining a throughput capacity on a network communication link extending from the data source to the user equipment;
• determining a content delivery throughput for delivering the digital data content on the network communication link;
• if the content delivery throughput is less than the throughput capacity, determining if the diminished throughput capacity is caused by congestion in the wired network communication link or caused by poor link performance in the wireless network portion;
• if the diminished throughput capacity is caused by congestion in the network communication link, causing the network service provider device to throttle a transmission rate for delivering the digital data content to thereby reduce congestion;
• and
• if the diminished throughput capacity is caused by poor link performance in the wireless network portion, permitting the user equipment to control the content delivery throughput without throttling the transmission rate.