Methods and systems are provided for improving frame selection in wireless communications networks. During decoding of a frame, a base station generates an error burst representation associated with error bursts and stores the representation within the frame, thus forming an enhanced frame. The base station then transfers the enhanced frame to a network controller. A frame selection unit ("FSU") within the network controller thereafter applies frame selection to the enhanced frame. The error burst representation can be analyzed to determine the quality of the enhanced frame. A "combined" frame, generated by combining an "acceptable" portion of the enhanced frame and an acceptable portion of a copy of the enhanced frame, can then be generated to substantially eliminate errors. The present frame selection methods and systems enable superior quality frames to be passed on to higher layers in a network's communications protocol (hereafter collectively referred to as "network").