Patent ID: 7643837

Claim:
A cellular communication system, controlling a configuration of radio links in a radio network comprising a network controller, mobile units and base stations, the system being arranged for: maintaining, in the mobile unit and in the base station, a synchronization counter indicating time codes for synchronization of functions across the system, transferring messages between the network controller, the base stations and the mobile units, the messages being transmitted at a transmission time code, the messages including a change command for changing a configuration of radio links, and a reconfiguration command for changing a current configuration state of the configuration of radio links to a next configuration state of the configuration of radio links at a selected future time code, which configuration change involves at least one mobile unit and at least one base station, determining a prepared reconfiguration period, which period starts at the transmission time code of the change command, and ends at the selected future time code, and during the prepared reconfiguration period sending a new change command, which includes the future selected time code and the transmission time of the reconfiguration command, wherein network elements receiving the message are made aware of the reconfiguration status.