Subsriber handoff between multiple access communications system

In a method in a cellular telecommunications system for performing a subscriber (28) handoff (216) from a first multiple access communications system to a second multiple access communications system, a subscriber unit in communication with said first multiple access communications system measures (206) a signal characteristic of a signal from the second multiple access communications system to produce a signal characteristic value. In response to the signal characteristic value, the subscriber unit is configured to communicate with the second multiple access communications system. Thereafter a subscriber handoff (216) is performed from the first multiple access communications system to the second multiple access communications system. The signal characteristic value may be signal strength. The signal characteristic may be measured with the receiver (92) for the first multiple access communications system.