An apparatus that acts as a remote unit in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising: a radio transceiver that communicates with a base unit using a first uplink channel; a memory that stores an activation channel for each access point in a set of access points; and a processor that: determines whether to move data traffic from the base unit to a nearby access point that is in an unpowered state, the access point belonging to the set of access points; requests the base unit for allocation of uplink resources on a second uplink channel in response to determining to move data traffic to the access point, wherein the second uplink channel is the activation channel corresponding to the nearby access point; switches the radio transceiver to transmit uplink data to the base unit from using the first uplink channel to using the second uplink channel which is different from the first uplink channel, in response to the base unit allocating uplink resources on the second uplink channel, wherein the access point transitions to a power-up state after harvesting radio energy transmitted on the second uplink channel; detects the access point in response to transmitting the uplink data on using the second uplink channel; and controls the radio transceiver to establish a connection with the access point. a radio transceiver that communicates with a base unit using a first uplink channel; a memory that stores an activation channel for each access point in a set of access points; and a processor that: determines whether to move data traffic from the base unit to a nearby access point that is in an unpowered state, the access point belonging to the set of access points; requests the base unit for allocation of uplink resources on a second uplink channel in response to determining to move data traffic to the access point, wherein the second uplink channel is the activation channel corresponding to the nearby access point; switches the radio transceiver to transmit uplink data to the base unit from using the first uplink channel to using the second uplink channel which is different from the first uplink channel, in response to the base unit allocating uplink resources on the second uplink channel, wherein the access point transitions to a power-up state after harvesting radio energy transmitted on the second uplink channel; detects the access point in response to transmitting the uplink data on using the second uplink channel; and controls the radio transceiver to establish a connection with the access point. determines whether to move data traffic from the base unit to a nearby access point that is in an unpowered state, the access point belonging to the set of access points; requests the base unit for allocation of uplink resources on a second uplink channel in response to determining to move data traffic to the access point, wherein the second uplink channel is the activation channel corresponding to the nearby access point; switches the radio transceiver to transmit uplink data to the base unit from using the first uplink channel to using the second uplink channel which is different from the first uplink channel, in response to the base unit allocating uplink resources on the second uplink channel, wherein the access point transitions to a power-up state after harvesting radio energy transmitted on the second uplink channel; detects the access point in response to transmitting the uplink data on using the second uplink channel; and controls the radio transceiver to establish a connection with the access point.