A system and method for managing a multihop relay station in a wireless wide-area communication network includes determining whether any mobile stations are being served by the relay station. If not, inactivating the relay station by; inactivating transmitted signals from the relay station, leaving a receiver active, and monitoring signals on the active receiver. Whereafter, estimating a channel quality of at least one mobile station from the monitored signals by the inactive relay station, and activating the relay station in response to the monitored signals indicating that a channel quality of the mobile station will improve when being served by the relay station.