A method of transmitting data packets over a common set of random access channels, the method comprising, at a user equipment, UE: channel encoding a first type of random access data packet for a transmission to be terminated at a base station; characterised in that the method comprises: channel encoding a second type of random access data packet for a transmission to be terminated at a radio network controller, RNC, the channel encoding of the second type of random access data packet being different to the channel encoding of the first type of random access packet; transmitting the first type of random access data packet to the base station using one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-e of the base station, the first type of random access data packet carrying signaling information pertaining to an enhanced uplink packet data communication from a UE to a scheduling function in the base station; and transmitting the second type of random access data packet to the base station using the same one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-c/sh in the RNC; wherein the first type of random access data packet can be distinguished from the second type of random access data packet by the different channel encoding so that it meets a data integrity criterion of a first decoder, but does not meet a data integrity criterion of a second decoder. channel encoding a first type of random access data packet for a transmission to be terminated at a base station; characterised in that the method comprises: channel encoding a second type of random access data packet for a transmission to be terminated at a radio network controller, RNC, the channel encoding of the second type of random access data packet being different to the channel encoding of the first type of random access packet; transmitting the first type of random access data packet to the base station using one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-e of the base station, the first type of random access data packet carrying signaling information pertaining to an enhanced uplink packet data communication from a UE to a scheduling function in the base station; and transmitting the second type of random access data packet to the base station using the same one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-c/sh in the RNC; wherein the first type of random access data packet can be distinguished from the second type of random access data packet by the different channel encoding so that it meets a data integrity criterion of a first decoder, but does not meet a data integrity criterion of a second decoder. channel encoding a second type of random access data packet for a transmission to be terminated at a radio network controller, RNC, the channel encoding of the second type of random access data packet being different to the channel encoding of the first type of random access packet; transmitting the first type of random access data packet to the base station using one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-e of the base station, the first type of random access data packet carrying signaling information pertaining to an enhanced uplink packet data communication from a UE to a scheduling function in the base station; and transmitting the second type of random access data packet to the base station using the same one of the common set of random access channels for routing to a MAC-c/sh in the RNC; wherein the first type of random access data packet can be distinguished from the second type of random access data packet by the different channel encoding so that it meets a data integrity criterion of a first decoder, but does not meet a data integrity criterion of a second decoder.