A method for transmitting a Control Channel Element of a control channel in a resource block from a base station to first and second communication devices, the base station including a plurality of antenna ports (506, 508) and the resource block including a plurality of regions that comprise resource elements, the method comprising: (a) allocating a first portion of said Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to a first region of said plurality of regions, wherein said first portion of said Control Channel Element is associated with a first reference symbol (R 7), and wherein said first reference symbol is associated with first and second antenna ports of said plurality of antenna ports, including allocating a first part of the Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to the first antenna port and allocating a second part of the Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to the second antenna port; (b) allocating a second portion of said Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to a second region of said plurality of regions, wherein said second portion of said Control Channel Element is associated with a second reference symbol (R 9), and wherein said second reference symbol is associated with third and fourth antenna ports of said plurality of antenna ports, including allocating the first part of the Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to the third antenna port and allocating the second part of the Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to the fourth antenna port; (c) encoding said first and second portions of said Control Channel Element to generate first and second encoded data; (d) modulating said first encoded data to generate first modulated data; (e) modulating said second encoded data to generate second modulated data; and (f) transmitting said first and second modulated data and said first and second reference symbols in said resource block to said first and second communication devices. (a) allocating a first portion of said Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to a first region of said plurality of regions, wherein said first portion of said Control Channel Element is associated with a first reference symbol (R 7), and wherein said first reference symbol is associated with first and second antenna ports of said plurality of antenna ports, including allocating a first part of the Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to the first antenna port and allocating a second part of the Control Channel Element intended for the first communication device to the second antenna port; (b) allocating a second portion of said Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to a second region of said plurality of regions, wherein said second portion of said Control Channel Element is associated with a second reference symbol (R 9), and wherein said second reference symbol is associated with third and fourth antenna ports of said plurality of antenna ports, including allocating the first part of the Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to the third antenna port and allocating the second part of the Control Channel Element intended for the second communication device to the fourth antenna port; (c) encoding said first and second portions of said Control Channel Element to generate first and second encoded data; (d) modulating said first encoded data to generate first modulated data; (e) modulating said second encoded data to generate second modulated data; and (f) transmitting said first and second modulated data and said first and second reference symbols in said resource block to said first and second communication devices.