ntion is directed to the management of data burst requests. In iethod of the invention operates to determine a measure of one or parameters, which in an advantageous embodiment are the input z amount of data available in the input data buffer at the beginning t. The invention then proceeds to the selection of an operating data burst as a function of the input data parameter measures. In an nbodiment, the operating data rate is determined by computing the red data rate as a function of the input data rate and the data content fer at the beginning of the data burst, with the operating data rate lowest supported system data rate that is equal to or greater than the ed data rate. In a further step, the invention proceeds to a selection r the data burst from the burst durations supported by the wireless ction of the selected operating data rate and an end-of-burst data er. Advantageously, the system duration is selected that that, when selected operating data rate, provides a minimum end-of-burst data