A method comprising: transmitting an uplink access request message by a user device to a stand-by access point in an access point cluster set of the user device, wherein the access point cluster set includes one or more stand-by access points and a service access point through which the user device communicates with at least one network; and characterized by: monitoring a downlink control channel by the user device to be notified a data transfer mode determined by the stand-by access point, based at least partially upon the transmitted uplink access request message, for a subsequent uplink communication to be transmitted by the user device, where the data transfer mode is one of at least three transfer modes comprising: transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point; transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point; and transmitting a portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point and transmitting another portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point. transmitting an uplink access request message by a user device to a stand-by access point in an access point cluster set of the user device, wherein the access point cluster set includes one or more stand-by access points and a service access point through which the user device communicates with at least one network; and characterized by: monitoring a downlink control channel by the user device to be notified a data transfer mode determined by the stand-by access point, based at least partially upon the transmitted uplink access request message, for a subsequent uplink communication to be transmitted by the user device, where the data transfer mode is one of at least three transfer modes comprising: transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point; transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point; and transmitting a portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point and transmitting another portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point. monitoring a downlink control channel by the user device to be notified a data transfer mode determined by the stand-by access point, based at least partially upon the transmitted uplink access request message, for a subsequent uplink communication to be transmitted by the user device, where the data transfer mode is one of at least three transfer modes comprising: transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point; transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point; and transmitting a portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point and transmitting another portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point. transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point; transmitting the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point; and transmitting a portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the stand-by access point and transmitting another portion of the subsequent uplink communication directly to the serving access point.