In a digital communication system for communicating digital information, the digital communication system having a forward link and a reverse link, a system and method for communicating a data packet. The system comprises a communicating transceiver, from among a number of digital transceivers, for sending the data packet on a random access channel over the reverse link and for receiving the digital information from the forward link. The system also comprises a base station for receiving the data packet on the random access channel from the reverse link and for sending the digital information over the forward link. The digital transceivers share the random access channel. The digital transceivers have a bandwidth demand. The system may also include a dedicated channel for communicating the data packet between the communicating transceiver and the base station and a processor for switching from the random access channel to the dedicated channel when the bandwidth demand exceeds a first threshold, and for switching from the dedicated channel to the random access channel when the bandwidth demand drops below a second threshold. The system is well suited for use in CDMA applications.