In a communication network based on the TIA/EIA/IS-856 standard, or in other network types where forward link power control is desirable but where no reverse link channel or sub-channel to direct such power control is available, forward link rate request information from an access terminal may be used to infer carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratios at the access terminal. Such information allows the network to control power for the forward link channel of interest. In a TIA/EIA/IS-856 setting, the network uses DRC channel information from the access terminal to set RPC channel power transmitted to the access terminal from one or more sectors in the network. That is, radio base stations within the network may determine C/I or like values for active access terminals using DRC channel information from those terminals and calculated needed RPC channel power accordingly. This process may be extended to include access control procedures.