1. A system for bandwidth management in a communications network, the communication network having a plurality of network conditions and including connections with a plurality of service-specific bandwidth managers, the system comprising: a high-level bandwidth manager comprising at least one user interface and using the at least one user interface to provide user operation to control a plurality of service-specific bandwidth managers; a control interface to each of the service-specific bandwidth managers, each control interface providing an ability for the high-level bandwidth manager to control at least one aspect of the associated service-specific bandwidth managers, each service-specific bandwidth managers affecting at least one associated network condition; and at least one observation reporting element associated with each of the service-specific bandwidth managers, each observation reporting element providing associated ongoing observation information to the high-level bandwidth manager, associated ongoing observation information responsive to at least one network condition affected by the associated service-specific bandwidth manager; wherein the at least one element of outgoing control information is conveyed to at least one of the service-specific bandwidth managers using the associated control interface.