Patent ID: 8885624
Filing Date: 2014-11-11
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A node of a radio communication network operable to allocate radio resources of the radio communication network, the radio communication network comprising an open access base station open for access by substantially any user equipment supported by the radio communication network in a serving area of the open access base station and at least one restricted access base station, each restricted access base station being open for access by a respective predetermined set of user equipments in a respective serving area of the restricted access base station, the serving area of each restricted access base station being at least partially within the serving area of the open access base station, the node being operable: to allocate a set of radio resources for use by the open access base station in radio communication with user equipments, the set of radio resources allocated for use by the open access base station comprising a sub-set of radio resources allocated for signaling between the open access base station and the user equipments; and to allocate a respective set of radio resources for use by each restricted access base station in radio communication with its respective predetermined set of user equipments, each respective set of radio resources including radio resources allocated for use by the open access base station, but not including radio resources of the subset of radio resources allocated for signaling between the open access base station and user equipments.