Abstract: An apparatus an method for adaptive time slot scheduling of communications traffic generated by end-point host in ATM network. The scheduler includes a time slot ring including an array of time slots, wherein each of said time slots includes a virtual channel identifier (VCID) of a virtual channel (VC) to be serviced; a VC table including an array of VC descriptors, wherein the VCID stored in said time slot ring points to a VC descriptor in the VC table; and processor for scheduling the VCs in said time slots of said time slot ring, wherein the time slots ring are circularly processed in a continuous fashion thereby enabling scheduled transmission of ATM cells in the network. The processor is operable to queue the VCID of a newly calculated target slot in an already occupied time slot if the newly calculated target slot is occupied, thereby creating a linked list of VCs, and the processor is operable to service all VCs at a single time slot before proceeding to a next time slot.