Methods and apparatus for synchronization detection and power control during soft handover

A terminal (200) in a communication system, comprising: a device (206) that recovers control symbols intended for the terminal, wherein the control symbols include the control commands transmission power (TPC: Transmit Power Control ) addressed to the terminal (200) from at least one transmitting node to which the terminal is connected and at least one node to which the terminal (200) would be simultaneously connected; a combiner TPC (210) adapted ARPA receiving TPC commands from the device (206) and, based on the orders, generating a combined command TPC is used to increase or decrease transmit power terminal (200); characterized by a detector (216) uplink synchronization adapted to recognize a pattern of TPC commands expected to be directed to the terminal (200) from the at least one node to which the terminal (200) would be connected until synchronization is achieved an uplink channel between the terminal (200) and at least one node; wherein, if the expected TPC command pattern is recognized, the combined TPC command is not based on the TPC commands from the node to which the terminal (200) would be connected.