A method and apparatus for arranging various types of data, and at various rates, into a uniquely structured format for transmission. Data for transmission formatting may be vocoder data or different types of non-vocoder data. The data organized into frames of a predetermined time duration for transmission. The data frames are organized, depending on the data, to be at one of several data rates. Vocoder data is provided at one of several data rates and is organized in the frame according to a predetermined format. Frames may be formatted with a sharing of vocoder data with non-vocoder data to be at a highest frame data rate. Different types of non-vocoder data may be organized so as to also be at the highest frame data rate. Additional control data may be provided within the data frames to support various aspects of the transmission and recovery upon reception.