The present invention relates generally to the transport of information between telecommunications nodes. In one aspect, in a telecommunication system having a first network based on a first technology and a second network based on a second technology, the second network in communication with the first network, the present invention relates to providing a message encoding format profile functionality adapted to enable transport of encoded information along at least a portion of a path of communication established between the networks, including: mapping the encoded information from a first message having a first message encoding format to a second message having a second message encoding format wherein the mapping is performed in accordance with the following steps: a) determining message User-to-User Indication information; b) determining message Length Indicator information and; c) selecting a message encoding format based on the determination of steps a) and b), above. Preferably, the encoded information is AMR codec encoded information. The invention is suitable, for example, for use in the transmission of AMR encoded voice information to and from a mobile terminal in third-generation radio access networks across an ATM core network.