A floating call anchor is used to improve the efficiency of utilization of wireless and backhaul resources in cellular communication systems. For conditions under which soft handoff can be effectively used to conserve wireless resources, data transmitted from a first mobile unit (MU) via a wireless signal are received by one or more base transceiver stations (BTSs) and sent to a base station controller (BSC) or other device remote from the BTSs. The data are then sent from the remote device to the BTS(s) transmitting data to a second MU. If the two MUs engaged in communication are within the same cell or adjacent cells, and the savings of backhaul resources outweighs the additional wireless resource costs associated with performing the call anchor function at a BTS, then a single BTS is used to communicate with both MUs. This single BTS performs the call anchor function.