Queue prediction to reduce virtual handoff latency

In a high-rate packet data (HRPD) wireless communication network, an Access Terminal (AT) selects its serving cell, and additionally provides an advance indication of a pending cell selection. Upon receipt of the advance indication, the network directs data packets destined for the AT to the indicated target cell, which queues the data. The target cell obtains a prediction of an amount of data that the currently serving, or source, cell may transmit to the AT between the advance indication and the cell selection. Following the cell selection, the target cell transmits data packets to the AT beginning at an offset into the transmission queue that corresponds to the predicted data amount. When the target cell receives the actual transmitted data amount from the source cell, it may make adjustments in data packet transmission to the AT to ameliorate the effects of any miss-prediction.