Controlling network traffic using acceleration policies

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for controlling network traffic using acceleration policies. According to various embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, an acceleration application can be executed by a device for analyzing data requests, determining if the data communications requested by way of the request can be delayed, accelerated, or otherwise modified ("shifted") based upon policies and/or network operating conditions. In some embodiments, the acceleration application can be configured to access acceleration policies that can define how certain traffic is to be shifted. The acceleration application also can be configured to obtain and analyze network data to determine network operating conditions and determine, based upon the determined conditions, if traffic is to be shifted based upon the network operating conditions.