Abstract: A digital cellular time-division multiple access (TDMA) system including a cellular switch and at least one base site employing 6:1 packing of transcoded information. The system incorporates the VSELP speech encoding algorithm to transcode data input from a cellular switch and a unique packing scheme to compress six messages channels worth of transcoded data into one 20 msec, 160 frame information block for transmission in one TDM timeslot. The compressed transcoded data is transmitted to a base-site on a T1 link where the six message channels worth of transcoded data is un-packed and coded. The coded information is then separated into two groups of three air-interface timeslots where two separate transmitters transmit one group each of three air-interface timeslots on two separate radio carrier frequencies.