A method of effecting handoff of a mobile station from a first base station in a first cellular communications system controlled by a first mobile switching control station to a second base station in a second, different cellular system controlled by a second mobile switching control station is described. The method comprises measuring at the mobile station a parameter of a signal transmitted by said first base station and a parameter of a signal transmitted by said second base station. When the parameters reach a predetermined condition, a signal quality message is communicated from the mobile station via the first base station to said first mobile switching control station, which responds by generating information for a channel request message for the second mobile switching control station and transmitting the same to the mobile station. The mobile station generates from the information a channel request message for the second mobile switching control station and transmits the same to the second mobile switching control station. The second mobile switching control station generates channel information identifying a channel in the second communications system for the mobile station so that the handoff may be effected.