Disclosed is a method of controlling communication rates over a link within a communications system. The method includes storing packets associated with voice and data traffic in individual buffers, and determining an instantaneous number of active voice and active data traffic in the individual buffers. Furthermore, a total link bandwidth that the active voice traffic will consume during a frame interval is determined, and an available link bandwidth, for the active data traffic, remaining after the total link bandwidth is calculated. Finally, rate control is applied to fit the active data traffic in the available link bandwidth. Rate control is achieved by allowing a data session to send data at a portion of its full-rate, where the portion is determined as a function of the instantaneous load generated by all sessions carried on the link.