A method and apparatus for controlling a data rate associated with the transmission of information from a base station (100) to a mobile station (300) in a mobile radio communication system. The mobile station (300) alternately receives information from a basestation (100) either in a variable rate mode or a fixed rate mode. The transmission rate from a base station (600) in the variable rate mode varies between successive data transmit intervals, and the transmission rate from a base station in the fixed rate mode remains fixed between successive data transmit intervals. Data is transmitted from a first base station (400) to the mobile station in the variable rate mode until the first base station is unable to receive the variable data rate control information from the mobile station. When the first base station (400) is unable to receive the variable data rate control information from the mobile station (300), the mobile station (300) attempts to remain in the variable rate mode by searching for a second base station that will support data transmissions to the mobile station (300) in the variable rate mode and, if the mobile station (300) is able to locate the second base station that will support data transmissions to the mobile station in the variable rate mode, then the second base station transmits data to the mobile station in the variable rate mode and transmissions from the first base station to the mobile station (300) in the variable rate mode terminate. If the mobile station is unable to locate the second base station that will support data transmissions to the mobile station in the variable rate mode, data is transmitted to the mobile station (300) from either the first base station (400) or a different base station in the fixed rate mode.