Techniques for managing communications in a cellular network are disclosed. The cellular network can include one or more sectors in which hotspot carriers are deployed. The hotspot carriers can be available to mobile devices beyond sector boundaries defined by the signal strength of ubiquitous carriers. A mobile device can measure a signal strength of a candidate hotspot carrier and estimate a reverse link mobile device transmit power level for communicating on the hotspot carrier. The mobile device may determine whether to add, remove, or maintain the hotspot carrier in its active set based on the estimated transmit power level so as to limit interference to the reverse link of non-hotspot sectors.