A method for operating a user equipment, UE, the method comprising: receiving, by the UE, a plurality of sets of random access channel, RACH, parameters associated with a plurality of groups of identifiers; selecting a set of RACH parameters from the plurality of sets of RACH parameters; and performing, by the UE, a random access procedure in accordance with the set of RACH parameters and the associated group of identifiers; wherein selecting the set of RACH parameters comprises: measuring reference resources associated with first identifiers in the plurality of groups of identifiers; selecting a largest of the measured reference resources, thereby producing a selected reference resource; and setting a first set of RACH parameters associated with the selected reference resource as the set of RACH parameters; wherein performing the random access procedure comprises: transmitting a preamble with a transmit power level on a set of network resources in accordance with the selected reference resource; characterized in: decoding a control channel in accordance with a second identifier and a third identifier in the group of identifiers in accordance with the selected reference resource; decoding a first data channel indicated by the decoded control channel and in accordance with a fourth identifier and a fifth identifier in the group of identifiers, and the selected reference resource; and transmitting a message on a second data channel in a resource allocation indicated by the decoded first data channel, with reference signals modulated with a sixth identifier and data scrambled and encoded with a seventh identifier in the group of identifiers in accordance with the selected reference resource; wherein the control channel comprises an enhanced physical downlink control channel, EPDCCH, wherein the second identifier is an EPDCCH identifier for descrambling and decoding, and wherein the third identifier is a RACH specific identifier for demodulating a demodulation reference signal, DMRS, for the EPDCCH; or wherein the first data channel comprises a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, wherein the fourth identifier is a PDSCH identifier for descrambling and decoding the PDSCH, and wherein the fifth identifier is a RACH specific identifier for demodulating a DMRS for the PDSCH; or wherein the message is transmitted on a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, wherein the sixth identifier comprises a PUSCH identifier for scrambling and encoding the PUSCH, and wherein the seventh identifier is a RACH specific identifier for modulating a DMRS for the PUSCH. receiving, by the UE, a plurality of sets of random access channel, RACH, parameters associated with a plurality of groups of identifiers; selecting a set of RACH parameters from the plurality of sets of RACH parameters; and performing, by the UE, a random access procedure in accordance with the set of RACH parameters and the associated group of identifiers; wherein selecting the set of RACH parameters comprises: measuring reference resources associated with first identifiers in the plurality of groups of identifiers; selecting a largest of the measured reference resources, thereby producing a selected reference resource; and setting a first set of RACH parameters associated with the selected reference resource as the set of RACH parameters; measuring reference resources associated with first identifiers in the plurality of groups of identifiers; selecting a largest of the measured reference resources, thereby producing a selected reference resource; and setting a first set of RACH parameters associated with the selected reference resource as the set of RACH parameters; wherein performing the random access procedure comprises: transmitting a preamble with a transmit power level on a set of network resources in accordance with the selected reference resource; decoding a control channel in accordance with a second identifier and a third identifier in the group of identifiers in accordance with the selected reference resource; decoding a first data channel indicated by the decoded control channel and in accordance with a fourth identifier and a fifth identifier in the group of identifiers, and the selected reference resource; and transmitting a message on a second data channel in a resource allocation indicated by the decoded first data channel, with reference signals modulated with a sixth identifier and data scrambled and encoded with a seventh identifier in the group of identifiers in accordance with the selected reference resource; wherein the control channel comprises an enhanced physical downlink control channel, EPDCCH, wherein the second identifier is an EPDCCH identifier for descrambling and decoding, and wherein the third identifier is a RACH specific identifier for demodulating a demodulation reference signal, DMRS, for the EPDCCH; or wherein the first data channel comprises a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, wherein the fourth identifier is a PDSCH identifier for descrambling and decoding the PDSCH, and wherein the fifth identifier is a RACH specific identifier for demodulating a DMRS for the PDSCH; or wherein the message is transmitted on a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, wherein the sixth identifier comprises a PUSCH identifier for scrambling and encoding the PUSCH, and wherein the seventh identifier is a RACH specific identifier for modulating a DMRS for the PUSCH.