The velocity of a wireless communications device (WCD) (106) is estimated. In response to this estimate a power control command rate is determined. The WCD 106 transmits power control signals to a base station (102) according to the power control command rate. The power control command rate may be determined by mapping the estimated velocity to a velocity range, and selecting a rate that corresponds to the velocity range as the power control command rate. Velocity is estimated by measuring a level crossing rate of a multipath signal.