Rate control for a communication

A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for communication, said method comprising:

• sending and receiving a communication from a first device to a second device over a network, wherein said communication comprises at least one audio stream and a second communication stream;
• probing a capacity of said network at said first device for said sending and receiving said communication;
• detecting a presence of a voice in said at least one audio stream at said first device via a voice activity detection;
• and
• setting a rate limit for said sending and receiving said communication at said first device such that said rate limit is below a lowest measured capacity of said capacity of said network and based on said detecting said presence of said voice in said at least one audio stream.

A device for communicating, said device comprising:

• an image capturing device for capturing images;
• a microphone for capturing audio;
• a transceiver for sending and receiving a communication with a second device over a network, wherein said communication comprises at least one audio stream and a second communication stream;
• a probing module for probing a capacity of said network;
• a voice activity detector for detecting a presence of a voice in said at least one audio stream;
• and
• a rate controller for setting a rate limit for said transceiver such that said rate limit is below a lowest measured capacity of said capacity of said network and based on said detecting of said presence of said at least one audio stream.