Method of configuring voice and data communication over a voice channel

A method for configuring voice and data communication in a wireless telecommunications network that includes a base station having a network vocoder and a vehicle communications system having an onboard vocoder, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) establishing a voice communication connection over the wireless telecommunications network between the base station and the vehicle communications system;
• (b) configuring the base station and the vehicle communications system to transmit over the voice communication connection at a first data rate that is selected by the base station;
• (c) sending a message from the vehicle communications system to the base station requesting a second data rate that is selected by the vehicle system and is greater than the first data rate;
• and
• (d) reconfiguring the base station and the vehicle communications system so that voice and data transmissions are sent over the voice communication connection between the base station and the vehicle system at the second data rate.

A method for establishing a sufficient data rate for voice and data transmissions over a voice channel of a wireless telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

• (a) utilizing a CDMA2000-compatible network vocoder;
• (b) utilizing a CDMA2000-compatible onboard vocoder that is in wireless communication with the network vocoder;
• (c) participating in the configuration of a voice channel between the network and onboard vocoders over the wireless network, where the voice channel configuration includes a first data rate whose selection is exclusively within the authority of the network vocoder;
• (d) sending a service option control message from the onboard vocoder to the network vocoder over the wireless network, where the service option control message includes a request for a second data rate that is greater than the first data rate and whose selection is exclusively within the authority of the onboard vocoder;
• (e) participating in the modification of the voice channel between the network and onboard vocoders, where the voice channel modification includes replacing the first data rate with the second data rate, and;
• (f) sending voice and data transmissions over the voice channel between the network and onboard vocoders according to the second data rate.