A method and computer program for initiating a message to a radio access network include steps of: (404) detecting a request to transmit a probe message from a transmitter over an access channel to a radio access network; (406) calculating a transmit power for the probe message; (408) checking a condition that may result in failure to receive the probe message over the access channel by the radio access network; and (410) when the condition is determined to be true, then (412) reducing a message length of the probe message to generate a shorter probe message; (414) recalculating the transmit power to send the shorter probe message; and (416) transmitting the shorter probe message over the access channel at the recalculated transmit power.