Apparatus and method for assigning a common packet channel in a cdma communication system

A method for broadcasting channel information, available channel and data rate of a base station in a CDMA communication system. The base station receives information indicating that a mobile station has data to transmit, over an access preamble channel. The base station transmits use status information of physical channels and maximum available data rate information on a status indicator channel. The mobile station receives the use status information of physical channels and the maximum available data rate information through the status indicator channel from a base station. The mobile station transmits to the base station an access preamble for requesting allocation of a given physical channel determined depending on the use status information and the maximum available data rate information.