Abstract: A method and telecommunication system for tracking the carrier phase of a received signal includes the addition of a pilot signal to the data component of the signal prior to modulation and transmission. The pilot signal is specified to have a frequency equal to the inverse of twice a data symbol interval with zero crossings positioned at the midpoint of each symbol interval to avoid interference with the data. The received signal is demodulated to produce a complex data signal from which the pilot signal is detected to provide an estimate of the phase error in the complex data signal. The elimination of the phase error from the complex data signal is accomplished through a corrective phase shift that is equal and opposite to the estimated phase error. A sample timing estimate may also be obtained in a similar manner.