An ATM switching system includes PVC allocation circuits 13-i
corresponding to output queues 14-i is disclosed. At the time of arrival
of the leading cell of each burst data, if the output line has a room,
the PVC of the burst data is stored as information for admission and
identification. The subsequently-arriving cells having the same PVC
identification information as the stored identification information are
"input to an output buffer, and the cells of the remaining burst data are
all discarded. Even when a plurality of burst data compete for the same
output line, the fact that all the cells other than the first-arriving
admitted burst data are discarded prevents the cells from being input
other than within a predetermined bandwidth and localizes the burst data
affected by the cell discarding due to output queue overflow.