Method and apparatus for high rate data transmission in wireless communication

TECHNIQUES FOR UTILIZING MULTIPLE CARRIERS TO SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE TRANSMISSION CAPASITY ARE DESCRIBED. FOR MULTI-CARRIER OPERATION, A TERMINAL (120) RECEIVE AN ASSIGNMENT OF MULTIPLE FOWARD LINK (FL) CARRIERS AND AT LEAST ONE RESERVE LINK (RL) CARRIER. THE CARRIERS MAY BE ARRANGED IN AT LEAST ONE GROUP, WITH EACH GROUP INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE FL CARRIER AND ONE RL CARRIER. THE TERMINAL MAY RECEIVE PACKETS ON THE FL CARRIER(S) IN EACH GROUP AND MAY SEND ACKNOWLEGEMENTS FOR THE RECEIVED PACKETS VIA THE RL CARRIER IN THAT GROUP. THE TERMINAL (120) MAY SEND CHANNEL QUALITY INDICATION (CQI) REPORTS FOR THE FL CARRIER(S) IN EACH GROUP VIA THE RL CARRIER IN THAT GROUP. THE TERMINAL (120) MAY ALSO TRANSMIT DATA ON THE RL CARRIER(S). THE TERMINAL (120) MAY SEND DESIGNATED RL SIGNALING (E.G., TO ORIGINATE A CALL) ON A PRIMARY RL CARRIER AND MAY RECEIVE DESIGNATED FL SIGNALING (E.G., FOR CALL SETUP) ON A PRIMARY FL CARRIER.