The need for reducing the time required for call setup in a wireless communication system (100) is addressed herein. A base station (BS 104) sends a channel assignment message to a mobile station (MS 102) and performs traffic channel initialization procedures with the MS. After completing the traffic channel initialization procedures, the BS sends a base station acknowledgment message to the MS and proceeds to transmit signaling to the MS without waiting to receive an MS acknowledgment in response to the base station acknowledgment message. Thus, the time normally taken to receive the MS acknowledgment is saved and call setup time reduced.