Patent ID: 8660139

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, at a server from a first wireless device, a request to download content from a content server, the first wireless device associated with a first bandwidth; determining, by the server, that the first bandwidth of the first wireless device is inadequate for supporting download of the content from the content server; in response to determining that the first bandwidth is inadequate, querying, by the server, for additional wireless devices within a communication range of the first wireless device; initiating, by the server, communication between the first wireless device and a second wireless device of the additional wireless devices to establish an ad-hoc network, the second wireless device associated with a second bandwidth; pooling, by the server, at least a portion of the first bandwidth of the first wireless device and at least a portion of the second bandwidth of the second wireless device to form a pooled bandwidth; appropriating, by the server, at least a portion of the pooled bandwidth to fulfill the request, from the first wireless device, to download the content from the content server, wherein the at least a portion of the pooled bandwidth is adequate for supporting download of the content from the content server; and when querying for additional wireless devices indicates no additional wireless devices are in the communication range, delaying, by the server, the request until additional wireless device are in the communication range.