An approach is provided for the application of network acceleration technologies to remote node traffic over GPRS tunneling protocols (GTP) in terrestrial mobile communications networks. A proxy device of a first network node receives a stream of data packets that are encapsulated in accordance with GTP. Each GTP packet is de-encapsulated by stripping GTP header from the packet, identifying the TEID (reflecting a respective GTP flow with which the GTP packet is associated), and maintaining a respective GTP payload (PDU). Acceleration functions are applied to the GTP PDUs, and the resulting acceleration packets are transmitted communications network link(s) to a proxy of a second network node. The second node proxy device receives the transmitted packets, and re-encapsulates each packet, in accordance with the GTP protocol, based at least in part on the respective TEID of the packet.