Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate defining and utilizing hopping patterns to transmit broadband pilot signals in a wireless communications network. Portions of bandwidth can be dedicated to transmitting the broadband pilot data, and patterns can be utilized to hop across frequencies in given time periods to effectively utilize the entire dedicated bandwidth. Moreover, the periodicity for transmitting the data is configurable to allow devices requiring additional scheduling (e.g., high activity devices) to transmit the broadband pilot data more frequently. The hopping patterns can also hop across cyclic shifts of the patterns to provide optimum diversity for transmitting broadband pilot signals.