Systems and methods are described for reducing processing time of messages that are repeatedly received, with increasing frequency, by a device (e.g., user equipment, base station etc.). For example, the systems and methods would have a mobile device increase power, possibly to maximum power-out, per policy, if messages beyond the original are received and the time between those messages is decreasing. The decrease in time between messages indicates a more urgent need for the mobile device to power up. The systems and methods can be adapted for different types of messages (e.g., power-up, power-down, resource request, bandwidth request, service type, call type origination, quality-of-service request, application type, etc.). Each message type is associated with a policy (pre-determined or adaptive) that indicates the default behavior when the method detects a decrease in time between messages.