Method for communication between a terminal (1-1, 1-n) installed at a fixed location, in particular a consumption meter, and a mobile data collector , by using a Wireless M-Bus, via a short-range radio receiver , preferably a WPAN receiver, which sets up a bidirectional interface to the terminal (1-1, 1-n), which is situated in the reception range of the receiver , and transmits the data received from the terminal (1-1, 1-n) onward to the data collector via a bidirectional short-range radio interface, wherein the terminal (1-1, 1-n) sends a message periodically and unprompted for the purpose of communication set-up and in each case subsequently opens a reception window after a period of time (ΔT), wherein in response thereto a command or a command sequence (KS) is conveyed from the mobile data collector to the receiver as the receiver initially receives the command or the command sequence (KS) from the data collector and conveys said command or command sequence to the terminal (1-1, 1-n) in the reception window , characterized in that the receiver determines the reception time (RT) at which the message arrives at the receiver , the receiver transmits the reception time (RT) onward to the data collector , or the receiver stores the reception time (RT) and assigns it on reception of a command or a command sequence (KS) on the basis of an identification, and the receiver , after having received the command or the command sequence (KS), including the reception time (RT), from the data collector or having received the command or the command sequence (KS) from the data collector , stipulates the time at which the command or the command sequence (KS) is transmitted onward to the terminal (1-1, 1-n) while taking into consideration the reception time (RT), such that the command or the command sequence (KS) is received by the terminal (1-1, 1-n) within the reception window . wherein the terminal (1-1, 1-n) sends a message periodically and unprompted for the purpose of communication set-up and in each case subsequently opens a reception window after a period of time (ΔT), wherein in response thereto a command or a command sequence (KS) is conveyed from the mobile data collector to the receiver as the receiver initially receives the command or the command sequence (KS) from the data collector and conveys said command or command sequence to the terminal (1-1, 1-n) in the reception window , characterized in that the receiver determines the reception time (RT) at which the message arrives at the receiver , the receiver transmits the reception time (RT) onward to the data collector , or the receiver stores the reception time (RT) and assigns it on reception of a command or a command sequence (KS) on the basis of an identification, and the receiver , after having received the command or the command sequence (KS), including the reception time (RT), from the data collector or having received the command or the command sequence (KS) from the data collector , stipulates the time at which the command or the command sequence (KS) is transmitted onward to the terminal (1-1, 1-n) while taking into consideration the reception time (RT), such that the command or the command sequence (KS) is received by the terminal (1-1, 1-n) within the reception window . <EOS>