A data compression system comprising a transmit side having a first receive interface adapted to receive a first quantity of data from a first channel and a compression controller coupled to the first receive interface, a lossless compression controller, and a bandwidth monitor, the lossy compression controller and the bandwidth monitor coupled to a first transmit interface adapted to transmit a compressed first quantity of data into a second telecommunication channel wherein the bandwidth monitor evaluates the bandwidth of the second telecommunication channel and communicates with the compression controller. A decimation controller is adapted to lossy compress a portion of a second data quantity in the first telecommunication channel in response to a lossy compression control signal communicated by the compression controller to form a reduced second data quantity if the compression controller determines, that the bandwidth second transmission channel is insufficient to carry the first data quantity when compressed.