Handling physical random access channel transmissions in multi-carrier scenarios

A method in a wireless terminal, for performing a random access procedure in a wireless network, the method comprising:

• updating a preamble transmission attempt counter to track a number of random access preamble transmissions that are triggered at the physical layer in the random access procedure;
• and
• updating a preamble transmission counter to track a timing of when to increment a power level of the random access preamble.

A wireless terminal apparatus comprising a radio transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless network and further comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:

• maintain a preamble transmission attempt counter that tracks a number of random access preamble transmissions that are triggered and/or initiated in the random access procedure, including random access preamble transmissions that are aborted prior to completion of the transmission;
• terminate the random access procedure in response to determining that the preamble transmission attempt counter indicates that a predetermined threshold number of transmission attempts have been made.

A wireless terminal apparatus comprising a radio transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless network and further comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:

• update a preamble transmission attempt counter to track a number of random access preamble transmissions that are triggered at the physical layer in the random access procedure;
• and
• update a preamble transmission counter to track a timing of when to increment a power level of the random access preamble.