A method of requesting network resource in a multiple component carrier wireless telecommunications network, said multiple component carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a network node and user equipment, each operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a geographical region of said telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the user equipment, an indication that there is data to be sent to a network node; determining, at the user equipment, a set of available radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node; said step of determining a set of available radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure of each radio frequency carrier on which data may be received from said network node; determining, at the user equipment, which of those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node has a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure past a predetermined threshold value; correlating, at the user equipment, those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node determined to have said measurable characteristic past said predetermined threshold value with a corresponding radio frequency carrier on which data may be transmitted to said network node, and allocating those correlated radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node to said set of available radio frequency carriers; and requesting network resource by transmitting to said network node an indication that there is data to be sent to said network node on a carrier from the set of determined available carriers. receiving, at the user equipment, an indication that there is data to be sent to a network node; determining, at the user equipment, a set of available radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node; said step of determining a set of available radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure of each radio frequency carrier on which data may be received from said network node; determining, at the user equipment, which of those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node has a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure past a predetermined threshold value; correlating, at the user equipment, those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node determined to have said measurable characteristic past said predetermined threshold value with a corresponding radio frequency carrier on which data may be transmitted to said network node, and allocating those correlated radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node to said set of available radio frequency carriers; and requesting network resource by transmitting to said network node an indication that there is data to be sent to said network node on a carrier from the set of determined available carriers. monitoring, at the user equipment, a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure of each radio frequency carrier on which data may be received from said network node; determining, at the user equipment, which of those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node has a measurable characteristic indicative of radio propagation characteristics or failure past a predetermined threshold value; correlating, at the user equipment, those radio frequency carriers on which data may be received from said network node determined to have said measurable characteristic past said predetermined threshold value with a corresponding radio frequency carrier on which data may be transmitted to said network node, and allocating those correlated radio frequency carriers on which data may be transmitted to said network node to said set of available radio frequency carriers; and requesting network resource by transmitting to said network node an indication that there is data to be sent to said network node on a carrier from the set of determined available carriers.