A method for controlling access to a radio channel in a single frequency network in which multiple base stations transmit the same data simultaneously to a UE device, the method comprising: transmitting from a first plurality of base stations a set of random access parameters common to the first plurality of base stations of the single frequency network; receiving by a second plurality of base stations a random access preamble transmitted by the UE device, the second plurality of base stations being the same or a subset of the first plurality of base stations; simultaneously transmitting a plurality of responses to the random access preamble from a third plurality of bases stations of the single frequency network to the UE device, wherein the third plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the second plurality of base stations and the third plurality of base stations each transmit the same response using the same resources for transmission including exactly the same time slot for transmission as configured by a single frequency network radio access, SFN-RA, controller; receiving by a fourth plurality of base stations a scheduled transmission in response to the plurality of responses, the fourth plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the third plurality of base stations and forwarding the received transmission to the SFN-RA controller including information about a reception quality of the received transmission; and transmitting synchronously by a fifth plurality of base stations a contention resolution message to the UE device, the fifth plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the fourth plurality of base stations, as instructed by the SFN-RA controller having selected the fifth plurality of base stations, the contention resolution message having been prepared by the SFN-RA controller while considering the reception quality information, the reception of the contention resolution message by the UE device completing the access procedure. transmitting from a first plurality of base stations a set of random access parameters common to the first plurality of base stations of the single frequency network; receiving by a second plurality of base stations a random access preamble transmitted by the UE device, the second plurality of base stations being the same or a subset of the first plurality of base stations; simultaneously transmitting a plurality of responses to the random access preamble from a third plurality of bases stations of the single frequency network to the UE device, wherein the third plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the second plurality of base stations and the third plurality of base stations each transmit the same response using the same resources for transmission including exactly the same time slot for transmission as configured by a single frequency network radio access, SFN-RA, controller; receiving by a fourth plurality of base stations a scheduled transmission in response to the plurality of responses, the fourth plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the third plurality of base stations and forwarding the received transmission to the SFN-RA controller including information about a reception quality of the received transmission; and transmitting synchronously by a fifth plurality of base stations a contention resolution message to the UE device, the fifth plurality of base stations being the same as or a subset of the fourth plurality of base stations, as instructed by the SFN-RA controller having selected the fifth plurality of base stations, the contention resolution message having been prepared by the SFN-RA controller while considering the reception quality information, the reception of the contention resolution message by the UE device completing the access procedure.