A method performed in a cellular radio access node in a cellular communications system, comprising: facilitating communications between a radio access network (10, 16) and mobile radio terminals, the method being characterized by the following steps: monitoring performance of a first set of one or more radio characteristics of a radio signal received by the cellular radio access node or a radio signal transmitted by the cellular radio access node; determining whether the performance exceeds an associated predetermined threshold; and indicating a condition of the cellular radio access node for an operations and maintenance node based on the monitored performance; wherein the cellular radio access node is a relay node or repeater node and the facilitating communications includes: receiving a downlink radio signal from a base station intended for a mobile terminal, amplifying the downlink radio signal or decoding the downlink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded downlink radio signal to the mobile terminal, and receiving an uplink radio signal from the mobile terminal, amplifying or decoding the uplink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded uplink radio signal to the base station, wherein the monitored performance is of the first set of one or more radio signal characteristics of a received radio signal or a transmitted signal. wherein the indicating includes sending a signal to an operations and maintenance node if the monitored performance does not exceed the threshold, and wherein the cellular radio access node includes a communications module as used in a mobile radio terminal and the communications module is used to establish a direct radio connection with the operations and maintenance node and to send the signal to the operations and maintenance node via the radio connection. facilitating communications between a radio access network (10, 16) and mobile radio terminals, the method being characterized by the following steps: monitoring performance of a first set of one or more radio characteristics of a radio signal received by the cellular radio access node or a radio signal transmitted by the cellular radio access node; determining whether the performance exceeds an associated predetermined threshold; and indicating a condition of the cellular radio access node for an operations and maintenance node based on the monitored performance; wherein the cellular radio access node is a relay node or repeater node and the facilitating communications includes: receiving a downlink radio signal from a base station intended for a mobile terminal, amplifying the downlink radio signal or decoding the downlink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded downlink radio signal to the mobile terminal, and receiving an uplink radio signal from the mobile terminal, amplifying or decoding the uplink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded uplink radio signal to the base station, wherein the monitored performance is of the first set of one or more radio signal characteristics of a received radio signal or a transmitted signal. wherein the indicating includes sending a signal to an operations and maintenance node if the monitored performance does not exceed the threshold, and wherein the cellular radio access node includes a communications module as used in a mobile radio terminal and the communications module is used to establish a direct radio connection with the operations and maintenance node and to send the signal to the operations and maintenance node via the radio connection. monitoring performance of a first set of one or more radio characteristics of a radio signal received by the cellular radio access node or a radio signal transmitted by the cellular radio access node; determining whether the performance exceeds an associated predetermined threshold; and indicating a condition of the cellular radio access node for an operations and maintenance node based on the monitored performance; receiving a downlink radio signal from a base station intended for a mobile terminal, amplifying the downlink radio signal or decoding the downlink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded downlink radio signal to the mobile terminal, and receiving an uplink radio signal from the mobile terminal, amplifying or decoding the uplink radio signal, and transmitting the amplified or decoded uplink radio signal to the base station,