Abstract: A radiotelephone system reduces noise interference during handoff by muting the audio path of a receiver employed in a target base-station (135). After receive a handoff request message, a target base-station (135) mutes the target audio path and determines if the target audio path had been enabled by an undesired interfering signal having a common SAT. If the target audio path had been enabled by a interfering signal having a common SAT, the target base-station (135) will use the SAT and the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the desired transmission of the subscriber (125) to enable the target audio path. Once the SAT and RSSI are present and adequate, the target audio path is enabled, the source audio path is coupled to the target audio path, and the subscriber (125) is handed off from the source base-station (130) to the target base-station (135) without a third party experiencing an objectionable noise blast.

Abstract: An intermediate scrambling device for a radiotelephone system is disclosed by which it is possible to establish and maintain scrambled communications between an originating scrambler terminal and the most distant companion scrambler on the circuit. The intermediate scrambler may establish and maintain the scrambled communications if it is the most distant scrambler, or it may become transparent to a more distant scrambler.