Methods and apparatuses for allocating control and data time slots to a plurality of wireless mobile stations in a wireless communication system using time division multiplexing. The methods and apparatuses assign such time slots by first placing the wireless mobile stations into a number of different groups. Then, control time slots and anchor data time slots are assigned to the groups in the uplink and downlink frames of a carrier such that the uplink control time slot for each group is maximally spaced in time relative to the downlink control time slot for the same group. Data time slots are subsequently assigned to a particular mobile station by assigning time slots in the uplink and downlink frames which are as close as possible to the group's uplink or downlink anchor data time slots, as the case may be, according to a "grow from center" technique.