The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for balancing traffic load between a plurality of users on one or more shared wireless channels, e.g., from a communication node associated with a network of a plurality of cells including a first and a second cell. The method comprises determining a first indication of traffic load for a first cell and a second indication of traffic load for a second cell on the one or more shared wireless channels and redistributing the traffic load on the one or more shared wireless channels associated with the first cell and the second cell based on the first indication of traffic load for the first cell and the second indication of traffic load for the second cell. A scheduler, e.g., at a Node B and a decision algorithm at a controller, e.g., a radio network controller may be used in a wireless telecommunication system that uses wireless channels including a shared channel, a forward access channel, a random access channel, as well as a dedicated channel to switch traffic associated with at least one user of a multiplicity of users on a shared wireless channel from a cell to another cell. In this manner, for user equipment, e.g., a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System mobile station, a decision algorithm in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network may direct at least a part of the traffic load on a shared channel from a source cell to a target cell by moving a cell border without affecting a traffic load on a dedicated channel.