System and method for battery conservation with assistance from the network and radio resource management

A method of battery conservation in a wireless communication system begins with requesting a battery level measurement from a wireless transmitter / receiver unit (WTRU) (102) of a radio network controller (RNC) (104). The battery level is measured in the WTRU (102) and is reported to the RNC (104). The battery level measurement is stored in the RNC, where it can be accessed by radio resource management (RRM) procedures (200). The battery level measurement is applied to RRM procedures (200) by making adjustments to the procedures based on the battery level measurement, thereby preserving the battery in the WTRU (102).