A system for optimizing communications on a radio network by altering transitions between different link states that includes several modules. The activity, environment, and load module monitor monitors the link layer based on spectral-load metrics and radio-link metrics. The state transition control module determines when user equipment transitions between different states based on the type of user equipment, user equipment battery life, whether the user equipment is connected to an alternating current outlet, a spectral cost, and a backhaul cost. The channel state influencer module uses any of direct messages, ping messages, and keep-alive messages to influence the link state. The policy and preference handler enables or disables transitions based on the bearer technology type, the type of user equipment, the user's subscription plan, and the load level on the network.