Post-hard handover processing in a Time Division—Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) network may be improved to allow operation of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) in hard handover. For example, uplink synchronization may be completed concurrent with HSPA to quickly resume HSPA operation in hard handovers. User Equipment (UE) may receive downlink data while completing uplink synchronization. In another example, a unique SYNC_UL code may be assigned to a UE for hard handover. The unique SYNC_UL code allows Node Bs of the TD-SCDMA network to know which UE is performing hard handover. When a Node B is receiving the unique SYNC_UL, the Node B may begin to allocate UL data grants. After receiving UL data from the UE, the Node B may resume High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).