Pre-data power control common packet channel

A method of wireless communication through a network, comprising:

• receiving a frame-timing signal from a spread-spectrum base station of the network, over a broadcast common synchronization channel having a common chip-sequence signal;
• determining frame timing from the received frame-timing signal;
• transmitting an access burst signal over a spread-spectrum uplink channel, in a time slot selected from a plurality of time slots having predefined relationships to the determined frame timing;
• receiving an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the access burst signal, from the base station;
• receiving a power control signal from the base station;
• transmitting a base station power control signal and packet data to the base station over the spread-spectrum uplink channel, at a power level based on the received power control signal, wherein at least the transmitting of the packet data is responsive to receipt of the acknowledgement signal;
• and
• receiving data from the base station,
• wherein the transmission of the power control signal to the base station precedes the transmission of the packet data.

A method of providing a packet communication service, comprising:

• broadcasting a frame-timing signal from a base station, over a common synchronization channel modulated with a common chip-sequence signal;
• selectively authorizing one of a plurality of remote stations to use an uplink packet channel for packet transmissions to the base station, on a slotted-aloha basis, in a predetermined relationship to the frame-timing signal;
• receiving a power control signal from the one authorized remote station, at the base station;
• transmitting a power control signal intended for the one authorized remote station, from the base station, at a power level based on the received power control signal;
• and
• receiving a spread-spectrum signal containing packet data from the one authorized remote station over the uplink packet channel at the base station.