Abstract: A receiver of a system for transmitting data symbols at a given baud-rate comprises a symbol detector (7) operating at the baud-rate 1/T and means (6) for optimally conditioning received data symbols for this symbol detection. From the received conditioned data signal [s(k)], a phase error signal [E(K-1).c(K)] is derived that is representative of a phase difference between a locally generated baud-rate clock signal and a baud-rate clock signal inherent to the received data symbols, and the receiver comprises means (11, 12) for the reduction of this phase difference step-by-step in response to the phase error signal [e(k-1).c(k)]. This receiver further includes an accumulator (44) for determining the mean value [u(k)] of the phase error signal over a predetermined number (M) of symbol intervals and a detector (45) for establishing whether this means value [u(k)] is situated in a zone whose boundaries [.+-..sub.V r(k)/N] are determined by a given fraction (1/N, N>1) of the level [V.sub.