diff --git a/src/comm/LinkInterface.h b/src/comm/LinkInterface.h
index 3335677522895aa2cf1a03972cf8903a09738531..8f691ccec73889054630523f72d9a64b3d4f6d3b 100644
--- a/src/comm/LinkInterface.h
+++ b/src/comm/LinkInterface.h
@@ -147,13 +147,6 @@ public:
      **/
     virtual bool disconnect() = 0;
 
-    /**
-     * @brief Get the current number of bytes in buffer.
-     *
-     * @return The number of bytes ready to read
-     **/
-    virtual qint64 bytesAvailable() = 0;
-
 public slots:
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.cc b/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.cc
index de09f956f4177850a817e2df1e5fc9dd70eb58fb..ce9eb79b07a95a5ec4c6a3676d6345a64c8e4b18 100644
--- a/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.cc
+++ b/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.cc
@@ -632,14 +632,6 @@ void MAVLinkSimulationLink::mainloop()
 }
 
 
-qint64 MAVLinkSimulationLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-    readyBufferMutex.lock();
-    qint64 size = readyBuffer.size();
-    readyBufferMutex.unlock();
-    return size;
-}
-
 void MAVLinkSimulationLink::writeBytes(const char* data, qint64 size)
 {
     // Parse bytes
diff --git a/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.h b/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.h
index 912c5201d4551c679c1dbf6d195b5c3c54cc3426..b360d37df8a40c4dba262c6a9e72ddc77a3fbc1e 100644
--- a/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/MAVLinkSimulationLink.h
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ public:
     MAVLinkSimulationLink(QString readFile="", QString writeFile="", int rate=5);
     ~MAVLinkSimulationLink();
     bool isConnected() const;
-    qint64 bytesAvailable();
 
     void run();
     void requestReset() { }
diff --git a/src/comm/OpalLink.cc b/src/comm/OpalLink.cc
index 9850feefe44d08dd678b83adafab41d0a3167cae..7a1d5ed7ea0538fe6fddbeb9c361a657c6d75895 100644
--- a/src/comm/OpalLink.cc
+++ b/src/comm/OpalLink.cc
@@ -58,18 +58,6 @@ OpalLink::OpalLink() :
     QObject::connect(getSignalsTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(getSignals()));
 }
 
-
-/*
- *
-  Communication
- *
- */
-
-qint64 OpalLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-    return 0;
-}
-
 void OpalLink::writeBytes(const char *bytes, qint64 length)
 {
     /* decode the message */
diff --git a/src/comm/OpalLink.h b/src/comm/OpalLink.h
index e9edbdb2a1c93eeb121ad9fe1e43792acce82221..f658c8f0e080c885c02073bfe041915ff3958b4b 100644
--- a/src/comm/OpalLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/OpalLink.h
@@ -83,8 +83,6 @@ public:
 
     bool disconnect();
 
-    qint64 bytesAvailable();
-
     void run();
 
     int getOpalInstID() {
diff --git a/src/comm/SerialLink.cc b/src/comm/SerialLink.cc
index 96f70c4c9024e0863e126f8a73213df590623727..957079eeacc7a9ac9ba50b07dc4f99796829f21a 100644
--- a/src/comm/SerialLink.cc
+++ b/src/comm/SerialLink.cc
@@ -390,21 +390,6 @@ void SerialLink::readBytes()
     }
 }
 
-
-/**
- * @brief Get the number of bytes to read.
- *
- * @return The number of bytes to read
- **/
-qint64 SerialLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-    if (m_port) {
-        return m_port->bytesAvailable();
-    } else {
-        return 0;
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * @brief Disconnect the connection.
  *
diff --git a/src/comm/SerialLink.h b/src/comm/SerialLink.h
index 75632632a57a002eee92a2e26920b4322e9fc47d..84adde2fafe271a5f56203cb55753e2f65a74d9a 100644
--- a/src/comm/SerialLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/SerialLink.h
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ public:
     void requestReset();
 
     bool isConnected() const;
-    qint64 bytesAvailable();
 
     /**
      * @brief The port handle
diff --git a/src/comm/TCPLink.cc b/src/comm/TCPLink.cc
index 51c222348af279a6c08be4f32b86a1f50bf59d9e..a09a90d73f1d15a10d56c60b1b60e00afea96aa3 100644
--- a/src/comm/TCPLink.cc
+++ b/src/comm/TCPLink.cc
@@ -176,16 +176,6 @@ void TCPLink::readBytes()
     }
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief Get the number of bytes to read.
- *
- * @return The number of bytes to read
- **/
-qint64 TCPLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-    return _socket->bytesAvailable();
-}
-
 /**
  * @brief Disconnect the connection.
  *
diff --git a/src/comm/TCPLink.h b/src/comm/TCPLink.h
index f97db7fbe977ad8ed81befd1ddb06d1a482355e1..c78922f749ed001c4e9c3360c3160fafaaab6169 100644
--- a/src/comm/TCPLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/TCPLink.h
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ public:
     virtual bool    isConnected(void) const;
     virtual bool    connect(void);
     virtual bool    disconnect(void);
-    virtual qint64  bytesAvailable(void);
     virtual void    requestReset(void) {};
 
     // Extensive statistics for scientific purposes
diff --git a/src/comm/UDPLink.cc b/src/comm/UDPLink.cc
index ecf6fb90c536eb4c15527b8f67e50dd8caccaa11..57f6859e58d59eaaab265f35cddd99f81a2285ae 100644
--- a/src/comm/UDPLink.cc
+++ b/src/comm/UDPLink.cc
@@ -267,17 +267,6 @@ void UDPLink::readBytes()
     }
 }
 
-
-/**
- * @brief Get the number of bytes to read.
- *
- * @return The number of bytes to read
- **/
-qint64 UDPLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-    return socket->pendingDatagramSize();
-}
-
 /**
  * @brief Disconnect the connection.
  *
diff --git a/src/comm/UDPLink.h b/src/comm/UDPLink.h
index 00cf92097d9515b5d80c638796adc2be26db9964..48a8aa54d4b0b353dd24a45c5bb4f93c99d5cb4c 100644
--- a/src/comm/UDPLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/UDPLink.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ public:
     void requestReset() { }
 
     bool isConnected() const;
-    qint64 bytesAvailable();
     int getPort() const {
         return port;
     }
diff --git a/src/comm/XbeeLink.cpp b/src/comm/XbeeLink.cpp
index 337c961fcaee38ba209690bbe9a9f6853d7f31d6..31ad736c01c1ca89c87aea6bcde031ee5b672d84 100644
--- a/src/comm/XbeeLink.cpp
+++ b/src/comm/XbeeLink.cpp
@@ -189,11 +189,6 @@ bool XbeeLink::disconnect()
 	return true;
 }
 
-qint64 XbeeLink::bytesAvailable()
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
 void XbeeLink::writeBytes(const char *bytes, qint64 length)  // TO DO: delete the data array
 {
 	char *data;
diff --git a/src/comm/XbeeLink.h b/src/comm/XbeeLink.h
index 4e9e43fcab1b31e9c05c21c6dc505498747cf787..f7dfbf00daa5ea62222ae8b9003e64b9d4ec9ae7 100644
--- a/src/comm/XbeeLink.h
+++ b/src/comm/XbeeLink.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ public: // virtual functions from LinkInterface
     bool isConnected() const;
     bool connect();
     bool disconnect();
-    qint64 bytesAvailable();
 
     // Extensive statistics for scientific purposes
     qint64 getConnectionSpeed() const;