This paper proposes a mechanism for equation-based congestion control for unicast traffic, aiming to provide a more smooth and gentle response to network congestion compared to TCP's abrupt rate reductions. The proposed mechanism, called TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC), uses a control equation that adjusts the sender's sending rate based on the measured loss event rate, where a loss event consists of one or more packets dropped within a single round-trip time. The control equation is designed to be TCP-compatible, ensuring that the sender's sending rate does not exceed the steady-state sending rate of TCP under similar conditions. The paper discusses the design principles of TFRC, including the importance of measuring the loss event rate rather than the packet loss rate, and the use of an Average Loss Interval method to calculate this rate. The method is evaluated through simulations and experiments, demonstrating that TFRC can coexist fairly with TCP traffic in various network conditions, including Drop-Tail and RED queues. TFRC is shown to have a smoother and less variable sending rate compared to TCP, making it suitable for real-time applications such as streaming multimedia. The paper also explores the impact of TFRC on queue dynamics, showing that it does not negatively affect the performance of the network when competing with TCP traffic. Additionally, the paper addresses key concerns in the design of equation-based congestion control, such as responsiveness to persistent congestion, avoidance of unnecessary oscillations, and robustness over a wide range of timescales. The authors conclude that TFRC is a viable mechanism for unicast streaming multimedia and can play a significant role in the Internet's stability.This paper proposes a mechanism for equation-based congestion control for unicast traffic, aiming to provide a more smooth and gentle response to network congestion compared to TCP's abrupt rate reductions. The proposed mechanism, called TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC), uses a control equation that adjusts the sender's sending rate based on the measured loss event rate, where a loss event consists of one or more packets dropped within a single round-trip time. The control equation is designed to be TCP-compatible, ensuring that the sender's sending rate does not exceed the steady-state sending rate of TCP under similar conditions. The paper discusses the design principles of TFRC, including the importance of measuring the loss event rate rather than the packet loss rate, and the use of an Average Loss Interval method to calculate this rate. The method is evaluated through simulations and experiments, demonstrating that TFRC can coexist fairly with TCP traffic in various network conditions, including Drop-Tail and RED queues. TFRC is shown to have a smoother and less variable sending rate compared to TCP, making it suitable for real-time applications such as streaming multimedia. The paper also explores the impact of TFRC on queue dynamics, showing that it does not negatively affect the performance of the network when competing with TCP traffic. Additionally, the paper addresses key concerns in the design of equation-based congestion control, such as responsiveness to persistent congestion, avoidance of unnecessary oscillations, and robustness over a wide range of timescales. The authors conclude that TFRC is a viable mechanism for unicast streaming multimedia and can play a significant role in the Internet's stability.