Techniques for rank adaptation and multiple-stream reverse link communications in a wireless access network are disclosed. A remote unit transmits one or more reverse link data streams using separate identifiers to a base station. The number of reverse link data streams may be determined according to feedback from the base station or it may be determined by testing one or more multiple-antenna transmit hypotheses. The base station may estimate channel conditions using information obtained from the one or more reverse link data streams and may determine a spatial rank of the communication channel. The remote unit may perform separate error control and power control processes for each reverse link data stream in cooperation with the base station.