Method for reverse link congestion overload control in wireless high speed data applications

A method in a wireless communications system in which a plurality of mobile terminals are transmitting data on a reverse link, the method comprising the steps of:

• at a mobile terminal, in response to receiving a message to reduce its data transmission rate to zero, reducing the data transmission rate on the reverse link to zero while maintaining an active connection, the message having been sent in response to a determination that a congestion overload metric has a value that is indicative of the presence of an overload condition in the system that is being caused by a level of data traffic on the reverse link that is greater than what the reverse link can support.

Apparatus in a wireless communications system in which a plurality of mobile terminals transmit data on a reverse link, the apparatus comprising:

• a congestion overload control that determines a value of a congestion overload metric, and determines if that value is greater than a predetermined value that an overload condition is present in the system that is being caused by a level of data traffic on the reverse link greater than what the reverse link can support;
• and
• a transmitter that sends at least one message to at least one of the mobile terminals instructing the mobile terminal to mute itself by reducing its data transmission rate to zero when the congestion overload control determines that the congestion overload metric is greater than the predetermined value, an active connection being maintained with the mobile terminal.