System and method embodiments are provided for compressing data associated with a buffer while keeping delay in data forwarding beyond within about the buffer time. AN embodiment method includes receiving, at a data compression node, data packets from a previous node on a forwarding path for the data packets, compressing the data packets using a compression scheme according to a feedback from buffering the data packets at a buffering node subsequent to the compression node on the forwarding path, and sending the compressed data packets to the buffering node. Another method includes sending, from a buffering node, feedback of buffered data at the buffering node, receiving, from a data compression node, data packets compressed using a compression scheme according to a feedback from buffering the data packets at the buffering node, and transmitting the data packets from the buffering node after a delay time according to the feedback.