Apparatus and method for wireless communications

A communication system that allows a soft handoff to be completed, even when the communications link between the active base station and the mobile station deteriorates before the mobile station (101) has received the handoff direction message. The mobile station maintains a list of base stations that the mobile station (101) is in communication with, referred to as an "Active Set". In addition, the mobile station (101) maintains another list of base stations (300) that are proximate to the base stations (300) in the active set. This list is referred to as the "Neighbor Set". A memory within the mobile station (101) includes information that would allow the mobile station (101) to demodulate information transmitted from those base stations (300) on the neighbor set. In accordance with the disclosed method and apparatus, the mobile station (101) places a base station (300) in the active set upon including the base station (300) in a pilot strength measurement message (PSMM).