Abstract: In a wireless communications system, a base station transmits power control signals (e.g., the power control bits of a power control sub-channel) to a mobile using a forward-link channel that is decoupled from all other signals transmitted from that base station to that mobile. For example, the decoupled forward-link channel may be a common power control channel. The mobile then uses the power control signals received in the decoupled forward-link channel to control its power level for transmitting one or more reverse-link channels to the base station. The ability of base stations to use decoupled forward-link channels in order to transmit their power control signals to a mobile enables a mobile to operate with different active sets for the forward and reverse links. This enables forward-link data traffic to be implemented using a simplex mode, even when the mobile is operating in soft handoff in the reverse link.