Abstract: A method and apparatus of managing an active set of a mobile station in a soft-handoff environment includes for a reverse link, comparing a reverse link quality metric to a reverse link quality threshold, where the reverse link is associated with a base station in the active set, and determining an aggregate reverse link quality metric corresponding to at least one base station that is a member of the active set but is not under consideration to be dropped from the active set. If the reverse link quality metric is below the reverse link quality threshold for a time period, the aggregate reverse link quality metric is compared to an aggregate reverse link quality threshold, and if the aggregate reverse link quality metric compares favorably to the aggregate reverse link quality threshold, the base station is removed from the active set.

Abstract: A mobile unit 40 which is in a soft handoff condition 50 with a base station (32) has the power transmitted by the base station (32) on the mobile link (52) controlled. The base station (32) determines (70) when a frame erasure count reaches a particular level N. The base station then places this link in a clamped state (72) at minimum power. When the base station determines that M consecutive good frames have been received (92), the base station restores the link (52) to a normal state (94). A recovery arrangement (100, 110 and 120) prevents clamping by all base stations (32-34) and loss of the link.