What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless access system. The method includes exchanging wireless communications with a plurality of user devices, and transferring a first bit sequence over an overhead portion of a wireless link to the user devices to indicate pages pending on a paging channel of the wireless link. The method also includes monitoring a utilization level of the first bit sequence. If the utilization level of the first bit sequence exceeds a first utilization threshold, then the method includes increasing a number of bits in the first bit sequence to indicate the pages pending on the paging channel of the wireless link, and if the utilization level of the increased first bit sequence exceeds a second utilization threshold, then the method includes transferring the increased first bit sequence and a second bit sequence over the overhead portion of the wireless link to the user devices to indicate the pages pending on the paging channel of the wireless link.