The adaptive CQI-based HSDPA flow control method selectively eliminates flow control to greatly improve scheduler performance and increase the overall system throughput at low traffic load in a 3G High Speed Downlink Packet Access system. The method utilizes channel quality information (CQI) to predict potential handover conditions and adjusts the degree of flow control applied to classes of users to tune buffer levels accordingly. By regulating buffer levels, the adaptive HSDPA flow control method improves scheduler performance and significantly reduces handover data loss, thereby enhancing the effective Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) throughput.