Abstract: A system for allocating resources at network elements along a path through a communications network. Resources are allocated at a network element along the path in response to a connection request message. The delay budget is the minimum of a calculated cell transfer delay and a calculated cell delay variation. The calculated cell transfer delay is determined by finding a difference between a target end to end cell delay and an accumulated cell delay, and then dividing that difference by a number of network elements remaining in the path between the network element and the end of the path. To determine the calculated cell delay variation, the network element first finds a difference between the Max CDV QoS parameter and the sum of the accumulated cell delay variation and the switching delay for the network element. The calculated cell delay variation is then equal to that difference divided by the number of network elements remaining in the path between the network element and the end of the path.