Receivers accommodating carrier frequency selection methods in wireless
communications systems employing multiple carrier frequencies are described. Although
the receiver is tuned to a single band, an estimate of the channel quality corresponding
to the currently used carrier and an alternative carrier is generated without switching
between carriers. Transmitters of different cells and/or different sectors primarily
use different carrier frequencies but periodically transmit using a neighboring
sector's carrier frequency. Mobile node receivers use a single RF chain with a
controllable RF filter to receive and process a signal within a first selected
carrier band including two components, a first signal component identified with
the first currently selected band and a second signal component identified with
a second alternative band. Separate quality indicator values are obtained from
the first and second signal components, compared, and a determination is made as
to whether the receiver's RF filter should be switched to the second band.