Method and apparatus for selecting a base station

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a first broadcast burst from a first base station of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence including an index of how much unused capacity is available at the first base station;
• receiving a second broadcast burst from a second base station of the radio communications system, the second broadcast burst including a second broadcast information sequence including an index of how much unused capacity is available at the second base station;
• and
• selecting a base station of the radio communications system for communication of data based on the first and second broadcast information sequences.

A user terminal comprising:

• means for receiving a first broadcast burst from a first base station of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence including an index of how much unused capacity is available at the first base station;
• means for receiving a second broadcast burst from a second base station of the radio communications system, the second broadcast burst including a second broadcast information sequence including an index of how much unused capacity is available at the second base station;
• and
• means for selecting a base station of the radio communications system for communication of data based on the first and second broadcast information sequences.

A broadcast channel in a radio communications system, the channel comprising:

• a repeating frame shared by a plurality of base stations, the frame having a plurality of slots, each base station being assigned to a slot;
• a predetermined timing assigned to each slot, so that each slot of the frame is synchronized at all base stations;
• and
• a broadcast burst for each base station, for transmission in the respective assigned slot, the burst having a broadcast information sequence, the broadcast information sequence representing the power with which the respective broadcast burst was transmitted and the traffic load carried by the respective base station as indicated an index of how much unused capacity is available at the respective base station.