A user equipment (UE) operating in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system transmits Layer 1 and Layer 2 user data non-associated and user data associated control signaling on an uplink by puncturing user data information with the user data non-associated and user data associated control signaling to produce a data stream wherein the control signaling and user data information are multiplexed. The UE then conveys the punctured data stream to a radio access network via an air interface. The communication system further provides for a selection of a coding and modulation for the control signaling based on a modulation and coding scheme of the user data and a transmission scheme that is applied for transmission of the user data information over the air-interface.