Certain embodiments provide techniques for background scanning in a wireless communication device receiving signals from multiple base stations using a background scanning processor separate from a receive processor. The techniques generally include buffering raw signal data from multiple base stations, forwarding the raw signal data to a receive baseband processor for decoding data from a first one of the base stations that is currently designated as a serving base station with an active connection to the wireless communications device, forwarding the raw signal data to a background scanning processor, separate from the receive baseband processor, and generating channel characteristics corresponding to the multiple base stations with the background scanning processor without interrupting the exchange of data with the first base station designated as the serving base station.