A communication system provides for a distribution of bearer format type information among Network Elements located along a bearer path of a communication session, thereby facilitating a selection of a bearer format type for the communication session. The bearer format type information informs of bearer format types supported by each of the Network Elements. In one embodiment of the present invention, the bearer format types are conveyed in bearer format type data fields of bearer format type messages, which data fields may be modified by each Network Element in order to identify the bearer format type capabilities of the Network Element.