One feature provides for an apparatus, system, and method for enabling softer handover by a user equipment in a non-dedicated channel state, such as Cell_FACH state. A user equipment communicates with a base station via a first sector of the base station, and receives a preamble signature partition list. The user equipment determines that a second sector of the base station is available for softer handover, and selects a preamble signature from the preamble signature partition list corresponding to a softer handover configuration associated with the first sector and the second sector. The user equipment may then transmit a softer handover initiation message that includes the preamble signature while in a non-dedicated channel state, such as Cell_FACH.