An apparatus and method for setting a transfer rate of information units in a variable data-rate transmission scheme for a wireless communication system is disclosed. For that, a total counter for counting a total number of received information units, an error counter for counting an error number of received invalid information units, a division unit for dividing the error number by the total number, and a decision unit for setting a transmission-rate parameter are utilizable. The division result is providable as a link-quality measure at an output of the division unit. This link-quality measure is comparable with at least one predefined value depending on the result of which, the transmission-rate parameter is setable.