Patent ID: 8824289

Claim:
A method for use in a communication network comprising: determining a first quality value representing a first signal quality in a first radio link between a base station and a mobile terminal based on a first signal transmitted to the mobile terminal by the base station; determining a first data throughput value for the first radio link; storing the first data throughput value in association with the first quality value; and in a subsequent communication at a later time: receiving a second signal transmitted by the base station at the mobile terminal, the second signal being based on a data file transmitted to the mobile terminal by a data source via the base station, the data source being remotely located from the base station and transmitting the data file at a transfer rate; determining a second quality value representing a second signal quality in a second radio link between the base station and the mobile terminal based on second signal transmitted to the mobile terminal by the base station; determining an expected data throughput value by retrieving the stored first data throughput value associated with the first quality value; determining a second data throughput value associated with the second signal received by the mobile terminal; determining that there is congestion at a node between the data source and the base station when the second data throughput value is less than the expected data throughput value; and sending a command to the data source to slow down the transfer rate of the data file when the second data throughput value is less than the expected data throughput value.