A novel method is presented to address the need for fast and flexible access, handoff, and resource assignment in future high capacity wireless personal communications systems (PCSs). In one deterministic algorithm, called resource auction multiple access (RAMA), fast handoff, access and resource assignments are incorporated. Resource use and throughput are unaffected by heavy traffic demand as in traditional contention schemes. Using selected GSM parameters with RAMA, it is shown that, in microcells with propagation delays of 1 μs, 2160 resource assignment/s are feasible. With delays of 25 μs, 648 assignment/s are feasible.