Deadline driven content delivery

Examples of the present invention present a method of controlling content delivery in a network. A global quality of experience measure, QoEmax, is calculated based on the packet loss rate in the network. As packet loss rate varies as a result of congestion conditions in the network, so will QoEmax. A server delivering content over the network will attempt to reach QoEmax for the content in its respective session. Those sessions with a quality of experience, QoE, less than QoEmax will have its packet dispatch rate increased, and those with a QoE higher than QoEmax will reduce its packet dispatch rate, subject to any delivery deadlines associated with the session. If the delivery deadlines of the sessions can be met without exceeding QoEmax, then all sessions will end up achieving QoEmax. Since QoEmax is only a function of packet loss rate that all sessions miming over the same shared network agree upon, all sessions should converge on the same QoE.