Providing a pilot aided phase recovery of a carrier of an input digital signal Z.sub.k having signal fields of L.sub.s symbol signals, L.sub.P pilot symbol signals Z.sup.P.sub.(k) and (L.sub.s-L.sub.P) data symbol signals Z.sup.d.sub.(k), by for each signal field: calculating an unwrapped pilot phase estimate {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.f.sup.(P)(l); initiating with {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.f.sup.(P)(l) a first digital phase locked loop implementing a phase estimate algorithm and calculating a forward phase trajectory {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.F(k) from Z.sup.d.sub.(k), ks varying between 1 and L.sub.s-L.sub.P over the data field (l), {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.F.sup.(P)(l) having L.sub.s-L.sub.P forward phase estimates {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.F(ks); and initiating with {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sup.(P).sub.f(l+1) a second digital phase locked loop, implementing a phase estimate algorithm and calculating a backward phase trajectory {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.B(ks) from Z.sup.d(k), ks varying between L.sub.s-L.sub.P and 1 over said data field (l), {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.B(ks) having L.sub.s-L.sub.P backward phase estimates {circumflex over (.theta.)}.sub.B(ks); and from said phase trajectories calculating a phase correction (e.sup.-j{circumflex over (.theta.)}(ks)).