The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for scheduling a call for a wireless device in a transmission, e.g., a High Speed Downlink Packet Access transmission from a communication node associated with a network. The method comprises determining a current and a future traffic load on a downlink channel over a plurality of communication periods and adjusting a transmit power of the transmission from the communication node across at least two communication periods of the plurality of communication periods based on the current and future traffic loads. Base station software including a power step limiting algorithm and a scheduler may ramp the transmitted power from a transmitter slowly over several frames as data transmission increases and/or decreases with time at a base station. By smoothing out a transmitted power envelope a carrier may operate at a maximum data and power level during a busy time period. In this manner, an increase may be avoided in a saturated power of a power amplifier and the effects of an increased peak-to average power ratio on a power step limiting algorithm and a pre-distortion unit may be reduced.