The present invention is a method and apparatus for transmitting high rate data packet in a CDMA communication system. The transmission system transmits a first channel assignment message indicating the at least one additional channel that will be used to support the high rate data packet. The first channel assignment message is sent in advance of the onset of high rate data communications. In addition the present invention provides within the first frame of high rate data a duplicate channel assignment message. A remote receiver uses the channel assignment messages to initialize its demodulation elements (114 and 120) to receive the additional information carried on the at least one additional channel.