System and method for optimizing revenue through bandwidth utilization management

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring a bandwidth utilization of a network;

receiving a request provided by equipment of a user to access a finite content item by way of the network provided by a network service provider;

identifying a proximally stored copy of the finite content item, wherein the proximally stored copy was obtained from a content source responsive to a separate request;

adjusting, responsive to the bandwidth utilization exceeding a threshold, a data service price to obtain an adjusted data service price for transporting the finite content item to the equipment of the user;

forwarding a notification of the adjusted data service price to the equipment of the user;

obtaining from the equipment of the user an updated request for providing the finite content item to the equipment of the user at the adjusted data service price, wherein the updated request indicates acceptance of the adjusted data service price; and

initiating transport of the finite content item to the equipment of the user according to the updated request, wherein the initiating of the transport of the finite content item further comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy of the finite content item to the equipment of the user.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the proximally stored copy is stored by equipment of another user and wherein the initiating of the transport of the finite content item comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy from the equipment of the another user to the equipment of the user via a peer-to-peer network.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the equipment of the another user comprises wireless infrastructure, and wherein the proximally stored copy is obtained from the equipment of the another user via the wireless infrastructure without using a local infrastructure of the network service provider.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the data service price further comprises optimizing the adjusted data service price based on one of the bandwidth utilization of the network, the finite content item, or both.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating an elasticity of the user; and

determining a cost of exceeding a capacity of the network, wherein the optimizing of the adjusted data service price is further based on one of the elasticity of the user, the cost of exceeding the capacity, or both.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a bandwidth granularity.

7. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

determining a bandwidth utilization of a network;

receiving a request provided by equipment of a user to access a requested network content item by way of the network provided by a network service provider;

identifying a proximally stored copy of the requested network content item, wherein the proximally stored copy was obtained from a content source responsive to a separate request;

adjusting, responsive to the bandwidth utilization exceeding a threshold, a data service price to obtain an adjusted data service price for transporting the requested network content item to the equipment of the user;

providing a notification of the adjusted data service price to the equipment of the user;

obtaining from the equipment of the user an updated request for providing the requested network content item to the equipment of the user at the adjusted data service price, wherein the updated request indicates acceptance of the adjusted data service price; and

facilitating transport of the requested network content item to the equipment of the user according to the updated request, wherein the facilitating of the transport of the requested network content item further comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy of the requested network content item to the equipment of the user.

8. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the proximally stored copy is stored by equipment of another user and wherein the facilitating of the transport of the requested network content item comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy from the equipment of the another user to the equipment of the user via a peer-to-peer network.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the equipment of the another user comprises wireless infrastructure, and wherein the proximally stored copy is obtained from the equipment of the another user via the wireless infrastructure without using a local infrastructure of the network service provider.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the adjusting of the data service price further comprises optimizing the adjusted data service price based on one of the bandwidth utilization of the network, the requested network content item, or both.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating an elasticity of the user; and

determining a cost of exceeding a capacity of the network, wherein the optimizing of the adjusted data service price is further based on one of the elasticity of the user, the cost of exceeding the capacity, or both.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a bandwidth granularity, and applying the bandwidth granularity to the adjusting of the data service price.

13. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processing system including a processor, a bandwidth utilization of a network;

obtaining, by the processor, a request provided by equipment of a user to access a requested network content item by way of the network;

identifying, by the processing system, a proximally stored copy of the requested network content item, wherein the proximally stored copy was obtained from a content source responsive to a separate request;

adjusting, by the processing system, responsive to the bandwidth utilization exceeding a threshold, a data service price to obtain an adjusted data service price for transporting the requested network content item to the equipment of the user;

forwarding, by the processing system, a notification of the adjusted data service price to the equipment of the user;

obtaining, by the processing system, from the equipment of the user an updated request for providing the requested network content item to the equipment of the user at the adjusted data service price, wherein the updated request indicates acceptance of the adjusted data service price; and

facilitating, by the processing system, transport of the requested network content item to the equipment of the user according to the updated request, wherein the facilitating of the transport of the requested network content item further comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy of the requested network content item to the equipment of the user.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the proximally stored copy is stored by equipment of another user and wherein the facilitating of the transport of the requested network content item comprises initiating transport of the proximally stored copy from the equipment of the another user to the equipment of the user via a peer-to-peer network.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the equipment of the other user comprises wireless infrastructure, and wherein the proximally stored copy is obtained from the equipment of the another user via the wireless infrastructure.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the adjusting of the data service price further comprises optimizing the adjusted data service price based on one of the bandwidth utilization of the network, the requested network content item, or both.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprise:

estimating an elasticity of the user; and

determining a cost of exceeding a capacity of the network, wherein the optimizing of the adjusted data service price is further based on one of the elasticity of the user, the cost of exceeding the capacity, or both.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining, by the processing system, a bandwidth granularity, and applying the bandwidth granularity to the adjusting of the data service price.