A method to be performed by a substation component when a first component communicates with a second component of a smart grid network, said smart grid network comprising a plurality of sensor components, a plurality of substation components, and at least one control component, wherein said first and said second component are any component of said plurality of sensor components, said plurality of substation components, and said least one control component, said method comprising at a substation component of said plurality of substation components: receiving during a first time signaling interval, a first message signal from said first component; receiving a second message signal from said second component; combining said first message signal and said second message signal to obtain a combined signal; sending during a second time signaling interval following said first time signaling interval, of said combined signal or a signal derived from said combined signal to said first and said second component; characterized in that said method comprises at said substation component: receiving information that said substation component has been selected as a relay for bi-directional communication between the first and the second component of the smart grid network; receiving said second message signal from said second component during said first time signaling interval; and that combining said first message signal and said second message signal to obtain a combined signal comprises: combining at the physical layer a first physical parameter representing said first message signal and a second physical parameter representing said second message signal. receiving during a first time signaling interval, a first message signal from said first component; receiving a second message signal from said second component; combining said first message signal and said second message signal to obtain a combined signal; sending during a second time signaling interval following said first time signaling interval, of said combined signal or a signal derived from said combined signal to said first and said second component; characterized in that said method comprises at said substation component: receiving information that said substation component has been selected as a relay for bi-directional communication between the first and the second component of the smart grid network; receiving said second message signal from said second component during said first time signaling interval; and that combining said first message signal and said second message signal to obtain a combined signal comprises: combining at the physical layer a first physical parameter representing said first message signal and a second physical parameter representing said second message signal. receiving information that said substation component has been selected as a relay for bi-directional communication between the first and the second component of the smart grid network; receiving said second message signal from said second component during said first time signaling interval; and that combining said first message signal and said second message signal to obtain a combined signal comprises: combining at the physical layer a first physical parameter representing said first message signal and a second physical parameter representing said second message signal. combining at the physical layer a first physical parameter representing said first message signal and a second physical parameter representing said second message signal.