A 
system for providing an accurate prediction of a 
signal-to-interference 
noise ratio is described. The 
system includes a first circuit for receiving a 
signal transmitted across a channel via an external 
transmitter. A second circuit generates a sequence of estimates of 
signal-to-interference 
noise ratio based on the received signal. A third circuit determines a relationship between elements of the sequence of estimates. A fourth circuit employs the relationship to provide a signal-to-interference 
noise ratio prediction for a subsequently received signal. In the illustrative embodiment, the inventive 
system further includes a circuit for generating a 
data rate request message based on the signal-to-noise ratio prediction. A special 
transmitter transmits the 
data rate request message to the external 
transmitter. In the specific embodiment, the relationship between elements of the sequence of estimates is based on an average of the elements of the sequence of estimates. The third circuit includes a 
bank of filters for computing the average. The 
bank of filters includes 
finite impulse response filters. Coefficients of the transfer functions associated with each filter in the 
bank of filters are tailored for different 
fading environments. The different 
fading environments include different 
Rayleigh fading environments, one environment associated with a rapidly moving system, a second environment associated with a slow moving system, and a third system associated with a system moving at a medium velocity. A selection circuit is connected to each of the filter banks and selects an output from one of the filters in the 
filter bank. The selected output is associated with a filter having a 
transfer function most suitable to a current 
fading environment.