Abstract: A base station determines occupancy of a channel used for message communication and transmits channel occupancy data to access terminals operable to transmit messages via the channel. An access terminal receives characters for sending a text message via the channel and determines whether the channel occupancy exceeds an occupancy threshold. If the channel occupancy exceeds the threshold, the access terminal transmits characters of the text message to the base station via multiple messages. Each of those messages including a number of characters that does not exceed a maximum number of characters associated with the threshold. If the channel occupancy does not exceed the threshold, the access terminal transmits characters of the text message to the base station via a single message so long as the number of characters does not exceed a maximum number of characters for sending a complete text message to the base station via a single message.

Abstract: A method and system for increasing throughput of a wireless communications network and for reducing a reverse noise rise experienced by the wireless network are described. An access network and/or one or more access terminals monitor an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between the access network and the access terminal(s). The access network and/or the access terminal(s) make a determination of whether an activity level of the reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, the access network and the access terminal(s) each operate in states such that the access network does not measure a noise floor and the access terminal(s) transmit communications to the access network. If the threshold is not exceeded, the access network and the access terminal(s) each operate in states such that the access network measures the noise floor and the access terminal(s) do not transmit communications to the access network.