In our media-rich world in which users increasingly compete for bandwidth and access to mobile broadband, mobile networks need to evolve in order to cope with the growing demand for data, while delivering quality of service (QoS), which depends on how bandwidth is allocated. One way in which networks can deal with these demands is to become more self-aware, by understanding traffic limitations in real time so as to adapt to changing loads and to other factors affecting network capabilities. In this article, we consider what causes users to experience poor QoS, the challenges mobile operators face in optimising networks to deliver better overall QoS for users and some of the solutions implemented by operators to better manage their networks.