1. A channel structure for communication systems comprising: 2 at least one fundamental channel for transmitting traffic data, voice data, and signaling; 4 a supplemental channel for transmitting traffic data; and a paging channel for transmitting paging messages.

2. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said fundamental 2 channel is supported by soft handoff.

3. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said fundamental 2 channel is assigned for a duration of a communication.

4. The channel structure of claim 3 wherein said fundamental 2 channel is released by a remote station if a period of inactivity for said remote station exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

5. The channel structure of claim 4 wherein a state of said 2 communication is maintained if said period of inactivity for said remote station exceeds said first predetermined threshold.

6. The channel structure of claim 5 wherein said state of said 2 communication is not maintained if said period of inactivity for said remote station exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

7. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said supplemental 2 channel is assigned to a remote station for high speed data transmission.

8. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said supplemental 2 channel is capable for data transmission at one of a plurality of data rates.

9. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said supplemental 2 channel is not supported by soft handoff

10. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said supplemental 2 channel is transmitted from a best base station within an active set of a remote station. WO 99/14975 PCT/US98/19334 2911. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said supplemental 2 channel transmits at a fixed data rate for a duration of a transmission

12. The channel structure of claim 11 wherein said fixed data rate is 2 assigned in accordance with an amount of data to be transmitted

13. The channel structure of claim 11 wherein said fixed data rate is 2 assigned in accordance with a power headroom of a transmitting source

14. The channel structure of claim 11 wherein said fixed data rate is 2 assigned in accordance with a required energy-per-bit for said transmission

15. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said fundamental 2 channel and said supplemental channel are capable of concurrent transmissions

16. The channel structure of claim 1 further comprising: 2 a pilot/control channel for transmitting a pilot and control messages

17. The channel structure of claim 16 wherein said control 2 messages are transmitted over control frames and wherein each of said control frame is a fraction of a traffic channel frame

18. The channel structure of claim 16 wherein said control 2 messages comprise a reverse link data request

19. The channel structure of claim 18 wherein said reverse link 2 data request comprises an indication of an amount of data to be transmitted.

20. The channel structure of claim 18 wherein said reverse link 2 data request comprises an indication of a power headroom.

21. The channel structure of claim 16 wherein said control 2 messages comprise multi-cell A power levels indicative of received power levels of pilots in an active set of a remote station.

22. The channel structure of claim 16 wherein said control 2 messages comprise multi-carrier power levels indicative of received power levels of carriers in an active set of a remote station. WO 99/14975 PCTIUS98/19334 30

23. The channel structure of claim 16 wherein said control 2 messages comprise erasure indicator bits indicative of an erasure state of prior received data frames.

24. The channel structure of claim 21 wherein said supplemental 2 channel is transmitted from a base station selected in accordance with said multi-cell A power levels.

25. The channel structure of claim 21 wherein said multi-cell A 2 power levels is transmitted within a first control frame of a traffic channel frame.

26. The channel structure of claim 22 wherein said multi-carrier 2 power levels is transmitted within a second control frame of a traffic channel frame.

27. The channel structure of claim 23 wherein said erasure 2 indicator bits are transmitted within a third control frame of a traffic channel frame.

28. The channel structure of claim 18 wherein said reverse link 2 date request is transmitted within a fourth control frame of a traffic channel frame.

29. The channel structure of claim 1 further comprising: 2 a control channel for transmitting scheduling information and signaling.

30. The channel structure of claim 29 wherein said scheduling 2 information comprises an assigned data rate.

31. The channel structure of claim 29 wherein said scheduling 2 information comprises a duration of an assigned transmission.

32. The channel structure of claim 29 wherein said signaling 2 comprises erasure indicator bits indicative of an erasure state of prior received data frames. WO 99/14975 PCTIUS98/19334 31

33. The channel structure of claim 29 wherein said signaling 2 information comprises an indicator bit indicative of whether a message is present on said fundamental channel for a remote station.

34. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said paging channel 2 is received in a non-slotted mode by a remote station if a period of inactivity for said remote station exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

35. The channel structure of claim 1 wherein said paging channels 2 is received in a slotted mode by a remote station if a period of inactivity for said remote station exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

36. The channel structure of claim 1 further comprising: 2 a pilot channel for transmitting a pilot.

37. The channel structure of claim 1 further comprising: 2 a sync channel for transmitting system timing information.

38. The channel structure of claim 1 further comprising : 2 an access channel for transmitting origination messages and paging response messages.

39. A transmitting device for a communications system, the 2 device comprising a transmitter for: transmitting in at least one fundamental channel traffic data, voice 4 data, and signalling; transmitting traffic data in a supplemental channel; and 6 transmitting paging messages in a paging channel.

40. A receiving device for a communications systems, the device 2 comprising a receiver for: receiving traffic data, voice data, and signalling transmitted in at least 4 one fundamental channel; receiving traffic data transmitted in a supplemental channel; and 6 receiving paging messages transmitted in a paging channel. A channel structure for use in communication systems.

41. A communications system comprising two sets of physical 2 channels, one for the forward link and another for the reverse link, which WO 99/14975 PCT/US98/19334 32 physical channels are utilized to facilitate communication of a variety of 4 logical channels.']