A system and a methodology to improve the end-user quality of service both in terms of response time and reliability for the transport of in-call DTMF signals in wireless systems, particularly in geostationary mobile satellite systems. The methodology encompasses several techniques to provide acceptable end-to-end quality of service for DTMF. A technique is applicable for transport of DTMF in the wireless subscriber to network direction, where DTMF digits are carried in the form of an out-band message. The central part of the technique is to allow multiple key presses in the same message, thereby increasing efficiency and throughput in long-delay environment. Another technique utilizes the vocoder's functionality to carry DTMF in-band, thereby reducing system complexity. The scheme makes the use of an integrated DTMF detector which can classify a given frame of signal into several classes so that the DTMF encoded packet can carry a unique pattern across the air-interface to the voice decoder at AT, which is capable of identifying the pattern. Another technique pertains to the use of a message based DTMF transport between two-ATs on a separate logical channel with a unique Service Access point Identifier (SAPI) providing guaranteed service for DTMF transport in an AT-AT call.