A method for operating a mobile station, MS, to communicate over a cellular network, comprising: receiving transmissions from a base station, BS, and synchronizing therewith; transmitting bursts to the BS using a timing advance, TA, in order to compensate for propagation delay; and, operating in a stationary mode in which bursts are transmitted using a previously stored TA value when autonomously transmitting; the method of claim 1 further comprising: in a moving mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS using an access burst with a zero or otherwise specified TA value over the RACH, receive from the BS an access grant message with a calculated TA value and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, store the calculated TA value, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the stored TA value or a TA value updated during communications with the BS; in the stationary mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS over the RACH or other control channel using a previously stored TA value which is the calculated TA value stored when in the moving mode, receive from the BS an grant message and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the previously stored TA value; and operating in the stationary mode in preference to the moving mode if a calculated TA value has been previously stored and to revert to the moving mode if a specified number of attempts to access the network by using the previously stored TA value in the stationary mode have failed. receiving transmissions from a base station, BS, and synchronizing therewith; transmitting bursts to the BS using a timing advance, TA, in order to compensate for propagation delay; and, operating in a stationary mode in which bursts are transmitted using a previously stored TA value when autonomously transmitting; the method of claim 1 further comprising: in a moving mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS using an access burst with a zero or otherwise specified TA value over the RACH, receive from the BS an access grant message with a calculated TA value and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, store the calculated TA value, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the stored TA value or a TA value updated during communications with the BS; in the stationary mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS over the RACH or other control channel using a previously stored TA value which is the calculated TA value stored when in the moving mode, receive from the BS an grant message and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the previously stored TA value; and operating in the stationary mode in preference to the moving mode if a calculated TA value has been previously stored and to revert to the moving mode if a specified number of attempts to access the network by using the previously stored TA value in the stationary mode have failed. in a moving mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS using an access burst with a zero or otherwise specified TA value over the RACH, receive from the BS an access grant message with a calculated TA value and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, store the calculated TA value, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the stored TA value or a TA value updated during communications with the BS; in the stationary mode, initiating access to the network by transmitting a channel request message to the BS over the RACH or other control channel using a previously stored TA value which is the calculated TA value stored when in the moving mode, receive from the BS an grant message and assignment of one or more logical channels for further communications, and continue communications over the assigned channels using the previously stored TA value; and operating in the stationary mode in preference to the moving mode if a calculated TA value has been previously stored and to revert to the moving mode if a specified number of attempts to access the network by using the previously stored TA value in the stationary mode have failed.