Aspects of the disclosure include transmitting first payload data to a first communication device via a first link, subsequent to the transmitting of the first payload data, obtaining a first indication that a handover is being negotiated between the first communication device and a second communication device, based on the first indication, placing, at a processing system, the first link in an inactive state, based on the first indication, storing second payload data in a buffer, and responsive to obtaining a second indication that the second communication device has accepted the handover: activating, at the processing system, a second link between the processing system and the second communication device, obtaining the second payload data from the buffer, and transmitting, based on the activating of the second link, the second payload data obtained from the buffer to the second communication device via the second link. Other aspects are disclosed.