A method and apparatus for constant throughput rate adaptation

A method and apparatus is described for providing rate adaptation between a first node and a second node in a data communication environment employing bit stuffing and having a link budget of B bits per second. One or more N-sized frames of user data are randomized at the first node according to a predetermined random sequence to produce randomized N-sized frames which are then de-randomized at the second node according to the random sequence. N is the size of the N-sized frames in bits. Occurrences of a flag sequence related event is detected for in the N-sized frames after randomizing, and up to n bits are inserted in the N-sized frames according to a bit stuffing protocol. By performing randomizing before inserting, n and N are selected such that n+N does not exceed B. The bits are then removed such that de-randomizing can be performed. Randomizing includes combining N-sized frames with a random sequence and de-randomizing includes uncombining the N-sized frames with the random sequence. Alternatively, one or more random sequences may be used in randomizing and de-randomizing. Inserting up to n bits further includes determining a distribution of stuffing bits n according to h(n,N) for the N-sized frames such that n and N are selected so that n+N does not exceed B.