An ATM switch including ECC encoder circuits each for generating, for an ATM cell as an information symbol, an ECC check symbol and for adding the ECC check symbol thereto, cell partitioning circuits each for subdividing an information field of an ATM cell into N partial cells, for subdividing a check symbol field into M partial cells, and for assigning an identical routing tag to the obtained partial cells (N+M) partial cell switches for respectively routing the (N+M) partial cells in an independent fashion based on the routing tag, and ECC decoder circuits for receiving the (N+M) partial cells thus routed and for achieving an error correction on the received partial cells.