A mobile station comprising: memory storing program instructions; one or more processors, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: monitor at least one sub-frame location to receive a first message from a base station, wherein the first message includes an alert flag for both of active and idle modes of operation of the mobile station; receive the alert flag, wherein the alert flag is set to a first state indicating that second control information, broadcast by the base station, is different from first control information that is currently in use by the mobile station, wherein the second control information is to be used in the future in place of the first control information; receive a version number that corresponds to the second control information, wherein the version number represents a count of control information changes; in response to determining that the alert flag is set to the first state, determine whether the second control information has been previously decoded and stored based on the version number and a previously received version number corresponding to the first control information; and in response to determining the second control information has not been previously decoded and stored, decode and store the second control information. memory storing program instructions; one or more processors, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: monitor at least one sub-frame location to receive a first message from a base station, wherein the first message includes an alert flag for both of active and idle modes of operation of the mobile station; receive the alert flag, wherein the alert flag is set to a first state indicating that second control information, broadcast by the base station, is different from first control information that is currently in use by the mobile station, wherein the second control information is to be used in the future in place of the first control information; receive a version number that corresponds to the second control information, wherein the version number represents a count of control information changes; in response to determining that the alert flag is set to the first state, determine whether the second control information has been previously decoded and stored based on the version number and a previously received version number corresponding to the first control information; and in response to determining the second control information has not been previously decoded and stored, decode and store the second control information. monitor at least one sub-frame location to receive a first message from a base station, wherein the first message includes an alert flag for both of active and idle modes of operation of the mobile station; receive the alert flag, wherein the alert flag is set to a first state indicating that second control information, broadcast by the base station, is different from first control information that is currently in use by the mobile station, wherein the second control information is to be used in the future in place of the first control information; receive a version number that corresponds to the second control information, wherein the version number represents a count of control information changes; in response to determining that the alert flag is set to the first state, determine whether the second control information has been previously decoded and stored based on the version number and a previously received version number corresponding to the first control information; and in response to determining the second control information has not been previously decoded and stored, decode and store the second control information.