A communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) having a number of input ports and a single output port and being connected to a communication system in which a plurality of communication apparatuses (100, 200, 400) in time synchronization with one another are connected over a network, the communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) comprising: synchronization means (101, 201, 401) configured to establish time synchronization with another communication apparatus of the plurality of communication apparatuses (100, 200, 400) that functions as a master; management means configured to allow transmission in accordance with a predetermined communication schedule received from the communication apparatus of the plurality of communication apparatuses (100, 200, 400) that functions as the master, of cyclically transmitted first data to be used for control of a manufacturing apparatus or a production facility, second data which should be delivered to a destination within a designated time period, and third data different from the first data and the second data; selection means configured to select a data transfer scheme for each piece of data to be transmitted from among an on-the-fly scheme for the first data, a cut-through scheme for the second data, and a store-and-forward scheme for the third data based on the communication schedule; and a transmission and reception circuit configured to transfer each piece of data received from another communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) via one of the input ports to yet another communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) via the single output port in accordance with the data transfer scheme determined for that data, wherein the transmission and reception circuit is configured to receive the first data and output the received first data without checking the destination of the received first data, the selection means are characterized by that when processing for transferring a plurality of pieces of second data overlaps in time in a transmission cycle of the apparatus (100, 200, 400), the selection means is configured to select the cut-through scheme for one of the plurality of pieces of second data and to select the store-and-forward scheme for a remaining piece of the plurality of pieces of second data, and the transmission and reception circuit is configured to, initially perform processing for transferring the second data for which the cut-through scheme is selected, and in succession, and in the same transmission cycle, process the second data for which the store-and-forward scheme is selected. synchronization means (101, 201, 401) configured to establish time synchronization with another communication apparatus of the plurality of communication apparatuses (100, 200, 400) that functions as a master; management means configured to allow transmission in accordance with a predetermined communication schedule received from the communication apparatus of the plurality of communication apparatuses (100, 200, 400) that functions as the master, of cyclically transmitted first data to be used for control of a manufacturing apparatus or a production facility, second data which should be delivered to a destination within a designated time period, and third data different from the first data and the second data; selection means configured to select a data transfer scheme for each piece of data to be transmitted from among an on-the-fly scheme for the first data, a cut-through scheme for the second data, and a store-and-forward scheme for the third data based on the communication schedule; and a transmission and reception circuit configured to transfer each piece of data received from another communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) via one of the input ports to yet another communication apparatus (100, 200, 400) via the single output port in accordance with the data transfer scheme determined for that data, wherein the transmission and reception circuit is configured to receive the first data and output the received first data without checking the destination of the received first data, the selection means are characterized by that when processing for transferring a plurality of pieces of second data overlaps in time in a transmission cycle of the apparatus (100, 200, 400), the selection means is configured to select the cut-through scheme for one of the plurality of pieces of second data and to select the store-and-forward scheme for a remaining piece of the plurality of pieces of second data, and the transmission and reception circuit is configured to, initially perform processing for transferring the second data for which the cut-through scheme is selected, and in succession, and in the same transmission cycle, process the second data for which the store-and-forward scheme is selected.