A wireless terminal receives an uplink traffic channel segment assignment including a maximum uplink rate option indicator. Each uplink rate option corresponds to a number of information bits, coding rate and modulation method. The maximum rate option indicator indicates the highest rate option that the wireless terminal is permitted to use when transmitting in the assigned traffic channel segment from the perspective of the base station. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal uses interference measurements to further quality, e.g., conditionally reduce, the maximum uplink rate option that may be used. Then, the wireless terminal selects an uplink rate option to use which is less than the determined allowed maximum uplink rate option, e.g., based on the amount of user data to communicate. The wireless terminal transmits data in the assigned uplink traffic channel segment in accordance with the wireless terminal selected uplink rate.